Mako Blue Horizon
by Kage Kashu
Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments. Yaoi-ish. !Finished! Sequel coming soon!
1. Three Years Before

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: Prologue  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Sephiroth finally gets to Nibelheim. Surprisingly little happens, due to major changes as listed above. Tifa's out, so who's the guide?  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: This was a very strange idea that popped into my head while watching a friend replay FFVII.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Cloud is terribly OOC due to reasons stated above. Sephiroth abuse... by Zack and a large fuzzy creature. And, once again, AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Three Years Before Game, Shinra Mansion, Nibelheim  
  
A shrill voice shattered the morning calm. "What do you mean, I have to take them?"  
  
Sephiroth sighed and gazed distractedly at the blonde woman in front of him. She was a beautiful woman... and had he been straight, he would have been sorely tempted to attempt to court her. There was a quiet elegance about her that no city woman could ever hope to attain.  
  
The shrill voice broke through his thoughts again, and his gaze was directed to the open door to his left. "I will not do this!! You can't make me!!!" The voice seemed to be coming from two places at once... one, said door, and two, a speaker overhead. He sighed again, rubbing his ear. Tenor. It actually hurt.  
  
The woman smiled sweetly at him. "I'm sure Mr. Valentine will be able to convince him sooner or later, General Sephiroth." She had a lovely alto voice.  
  
He frowned, "Hopefully sooner, rather than later. What was your name again, Ms...?"  
  
"Strife, and that's Mrs. The people in town call me Mrs. Valentine, though. Not sure why..." she frowned at the open doorway as well.  
  
"THAT'S BLACKMAIL!" came the half expected, half dreaded shriek. "I will not guide a bunch of half-witted Shinra up the mountain! Like as they'd not even listen when it matters! And whose record would that mar? Mine! No way am I gonna do it!"  
  
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the woman as she winced. "Sorry, General. He's expecting Troopers." Her gaze drifted back to the door, she pressed a button on the desk before yelling, "Cloud!" over the intercom.  
  
The voice in the other room was silent for a moment. Then there was a round of quiet muttering before it piped back up, "Yes, Mother?" No longer yelling. Good.  
  
And the button went down again. "They're here. You shouldn't be so judgmental," her voice was stern. Made Sephiroth wish he had known his mother...  
  
Wait a second... "Mother?" he asked her.  
  
"Yes. I must apologize for my son's behavior. He doesn't think much of most of Shinra... but you, sir, do not seem like the rest of them," she smiled at him again, "You are far more polite." She grinned. "Mr. Valentine didn't know you were here, I think. Or else he wouldn't have been hitting the intercom button... But you would have heard it anyway." She laughed quietly.  
  
A sudden racket started near the aforementioned left doorway. "But you said I could hike the rates!" The tenor, again. Not as loud as before, though, thankfully.  
  
A light baritone replied, "Just for the Shinra?"  
  
"No, not for the Shinra," sarcasm thick enough to spread lay in Cloud's voice. "For me having to be the guide. I'm not a people person, Vincent. I hate people!"  
  
Vincent sounded saddened, "What about me and your mother? And Tifa?"  
  
Sephiroth could see them, now. The blonde blinked. "Yeah, but you're special people."  
  
The other man sounded vaguely offended. "Special?"  
  
The tall brunette standing behind Sephiroth sniggered. "Bet he feels loved, ne, Seph?"  
  
Sephiroth decided that that needed a reply, so he said, "Ha. Ha."  
  
Mrs. Strife startled them both by chuckling enthusiastically. "And what's your name, young man?"  
  
The brunette scratched the back of his head, looking at Sephiroth for help. When none was forthcoming, he replied, "Zachary Donovan, Ma'am."  
  
Cloud's tenor carried over again, "Of course you're special, Vincent. Not everyday you see a vampire."  
  
There was silence from the other end. And Zachary leaned over to Mrs. Strife, to ask, "Is he really a vampire?"  
  
More silence. And then, "Of course he's a vampire!" Cloud had answered him.  
  
"How old are you?" Sephiroth contributed. He hadn't liked the sound "rate hike" coming from a hick.  
  
"Almost 19," was the cheerful reply.  
  
"And you want to charge extra for having _you_ as a guide?"  
  
"The other guide's almost 18." A wide smile crossed the teen's face. "Besides, I know every rock, plant and beast on the mountain. I've been a hunter here for 5 years. We've been guiding for 3."  
  
Sephiroth frowned, feeling vaguely annoyed. He was about to ask if there were any other guides in the area when he noticed it. This teen with his cocky smile had mako eyes. Sure, it wouldn't be surprising, but Sephiroth knew every SOLDIER on sight. This boy wasn't one of them. So why did he have a SOLDIER's eyes? "How much?" he asked instead.  
  
Of course, it wasn't just the eyes that caught Sephiroth's notice. Although, that is what warranted him a second look. "1000 gil."  
  
He scowled. "How much of a hike is that?"  
  
The rest also warranted a second look. The hair, for one. How much hair gel does that require, he wondered. "I don't like guiding. It's double. Take it or leave it."  
  
Mrs. Strife sighed, "Cloud, you didn't hike it that much last time..."  
  
Maybe bargaining? "600, at most," he said in a dignified tone.  
  
The boy's eyes widened in mock outrage, "950."  
  
"650," was Sephiroth's reply. He already knew where this was going.  
  
"900"  
  
"700"  
  
"850"  
  
"750"  
  
"800"  
  
"775, then. No more, no less."  
  
"Deal."  
  
Zack leaned up from behind, "You know that you should have started from 550?"  
  
Sephiroth glared at him momentarily. Then turned slightly to whisper conspiratorially into Zack's ear, "I was going easy on him."  
  
Zack lifted an eyebrow in salute, and grinned knowingly at him. And then turned to Cloud. "Hot dogs or tacos?"  
  
Cloud blinked. "What?"  
  
"Which do you like better, hot dogs, or tacos?"  
  
Cloud stood blank faced for a moment. "Well... That's not a fair question. I don't like either of them... but Midean food's good, I'll give you that."  
  
Zack stood silent for a moment, before crashing to the floor as Sephiroth's elbow contacted with his skull.  
  
~*~  
  
Two Days Later, Up Mount Nibel  
  
Sephiroth shuddered. That boy... well, he'd just met the boy's pet. A giant Nibel Wolf lay at Cloud's side, allowing the boy to pet it, scratch it, and, it seemed, groom it. "Nibie" is what Cloud called the monster. The villagers called her "The Nibelheim Wolf".  
  
The beast's shoulder was of equal height to his own. Yet... Cloud played with it as a small child would play with a _very_ big dog. It seemed to think that that's all it was, too. Just a big, big, dog. Oh, and it was BIG, too.  
  
And just a few minutes before, it had torn out the throat of a Dragon. Sure, it was only a Green Dragon (the type most commonly found in the Nibel Region), but it was still a Dragon. Although, the boy had weakened it first. Unmindful of the danger to himself, Cloud had just thrown himself into battle... before Sephiroth could get close enough to use Bolt3 on the creature.  
  
Where had he pulled that sword from? It was too big to easily hide, being a full-sized Wutaian katana. So where did he put it when the fight was over?  
  
Mysteries, mysteries. But Sephiroth had a mission. One that left no room to extort the locals of their mysteries. Like the mako eyes.  
  
Sephiroth found himself caught up in his thoughts, so much that he hadn't heard the approach. He did notice, however, when a great big tongue licked him from belly to chin. He was covered in animal drool. Not just any drool either. The Nibelheim Wolf's drool.  
  
Soft tenor laughter. "Nibie likes you. I get the feeling that she bothers you though..." Laughing, mako-infused eyes. He'd seen stranger.  
  
"I didn't expect such a creature to take well to strangers," he replied sourly.  
  
"She usually doesn't." Cloud reached up to drape his arm loosely over her neck.  
  
"You seem rather talkative." The boy hadn't hardly talked once they had set off...  
  
A softer smile graced his face. "Well, maybe I like you too. Although... You aren't what I expected."  
  
Deeper baritone laughter floated over to him. Zack. "Don't think I didn't see that," he called. "And guess what? It's caught on tape, to enjoy another time!"  
  
Sephiroth's eyes widened. There was no way, absolutely no way, that Zack would get away with this.  
  
~*~  
  
Eight Days Later, Back In Nibelheim  
  
Laughing mako blue eyes watched as the Shinra military trucks left. Cloud felt vaguely disappointed. Why, he didn't know. He had gotten to guide his childhood idol up Mount Nibel, and had obviously peaked the man's interest. He wasn't quite sure what it was that Sephiroth saw in him, but it must have been something, right?  
  
'Maybe I should have gone to Midgar once I had gotten better... But Mother was so upset when I had fallen ill... She cares too much... Tifa was glad that I didn't go, too... but... What if...?  
  
'No what ifs. None. I'll be happy with the present.' He smiled at the figures coming down the Mount Nibel trail. Tifa was back.  
  
'775. Best deal yet... Wait 'til I tell her.' The smile turned into a grin. She would be angry, sure, but they always split commission.  
  
His gaze drifted back towards the valley, after the already vanished trucks. Nibie raised her head to his lap, and he sighed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	2. Assault On Mako Reactor No 1

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 1  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Number 1 Reactor goes boom. More strange changes. Where's Aerith?  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things are stranger now. I like strange. I don't like Barret. He's a Marshmallow.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Barret-bashing. I don't like Barret. He's okay, but he's stupid. IMO. And, once again, AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Beginning of Game, Train Station 1-0b  
  
A large black man jumped out of the train. He immediately knocked down one of the station guards with a mighty large fist. A smaller man followed knocking out the second station guard. They looked back and forth for a moment before the smaller man waved at the train. A short chunky man hopped out, followed by a pretty brunette girl.  
  
"C'mon, c'mon," she whispered fiercely.  
  
Finally, a fifth person came out from the train. A tall man with shoulder- length black hair, tied in a ponytail. If you looked closely, you could see that it was dyed. The roots shone dull silver in the low lighting of the station.  
  
He snorted as the others ran on ahead of him. His black trench coat swooshed behind him as he began following them... only to be stopped by more guards running up.  
  
It was a rather simple matter to dispatch them. Even if he only used the flat of his blade...  
  
Speaking of which... He wasn't really sure if he liked the katana. It was too short, really, for his tastes, but it would have to do. He didn't want to be recognized. He was here for a reason. Yes, a mission...  
  
Speaking of which... He realized that he had been left behind.  
  
Damnit. Now he had to chase them down.  
  
Although, as it turned out, it was a rather short walk to where they were all situated.  
  
Then there was an introduction session.  
  
"Jessie" "Biggs" "Wedge"  
  
And of course, he had to introduce himself. "Seph."  
  
And then of course, Mr. T had to be an ass. Yelling at everyone for loitering. Of course, Seph would have done the same, but that man... Well, he didn't do it _right_.  
  
He sighed and continued on.  
  
Once inside the reactor, Mr. T introduced himself as Barret. Seph was tall, mind you, but Barret... well, he was taller. And bulkier. He was like a barrel standing next to a bat. Taller, yes, and ever so much wider.  
  
~*~  
  
In the Deep Bowels of Reactor 1, Five Minutes of Strenuous Arguing Later  
  
Seph lifted an eyebrow elegantly. The man couldn't be serious. "You want me, the newbie, to set the bomb?"  
  
"Quickest way to see your colors, Pretty Boy."  
  
"You could at least give me the dignity of a proper name," Seph sighed, and stepped forward.  
  
/Watch it.../  
  
He paused, blinking. 'Zack?'  
  
/You remember this, right?/  
  
'Of course. Security, right?'  
  
/Hook it just... to the side... Just like that... Although, one might wonder what you're doing here./  
  
He shook his head, and the voice cleared away. "Careful," he said to Barret, who was hovering anxiously.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The security here is strange..."  
  
"What do you mean, strange?"  
  
"The Brain's setup should work just fine... but not here..." Seph frowned at the wires on the wall. "Security's tighter than it should be. We should leave, now."  
  
He grabbed Barret by the arm and edged the huge man in the direction they had come from.  
  
"Quickly now."  
  
/That's right, quickly. Although I don't know what you're worried about, 'General'./  
  
'Nothing... everything...'  
  
~*~  
  
Three Minutes of Strenuous Running Later  
  
The bomb went off more quickly than it should have. Luckily he was a somewhat caring person, or they all may have been dead.  
  
Because he would have had to go back for Jessie.  
  
Although it was rather amusing to watch Wedge run around with his pants on fire, Seph decided that he had better fish to fry and attempted to speak with Barret. Who said to wait 'til they were back at the 'hideout'.  
  
And so they were off.  
  
After the fire of the explosion, the relative cool of the station felt nice. Passing through it was easy for a man with his training, however.  
  
But what really bothered him, was that in the panic, a little girl selling flowers had gotten knocked down to the floor. He leaned down to help her up, and was rather shocked to find that he recognized her. It was the little girl from the bar.  
  
"Why are you out here, child?" he asked her, gently as possible. She'd seemed afraid of him earlier.  
  
"Was selling flowers. I pick them at the church."  
  
"You do know that this is a bad place to be right now, don't you?"  
  
She shook her head silently. He sighed and picked her up.  
  
"I'll bring you back to Barret, okay?"  
  
She smiled at him and hugged him.  
  
And then, he realized that he couldn't run like this...  
  
~*~  
  
Five Minutes Later, Late Train  
  
Barret had just gotten through yelling at his lackeys. They all seemed upset about Seph. Not that he wasn't, mind you, he'd have to be rather cold-blooded not to be. But the time to mourn wasn't now. They really should wait until reaching the base for that.  
  
*thump*  
  
He twitched. Trains don't thump.  
  
*thudathudathudathud*  
  
Okay, then. They don't generally make that noise either.  
  
*thudathudathudathud*  
  
He twitched again. It sounded vaguely like...  
  
*thudathudathudathud*  
  
Someone was knocking on the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I've been told that cliffies are evil.  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, What? You want me to what? You... What? Okay.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	3. Back At HQ

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 2  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: They get back to the hideout. And then... Morning. Changes become a little more apparent.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things are stranger now. I like strange. I don't like Barret. He's a Marshmallow.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Drinking? Barret being an idiot? And, once again, AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
From the Top of the Late Train  
  
'Planet, I hope someone opens this damned thing soon...' thought Seph as he sat on top of the train.  
  
A little squirming, and a child's head popped out of his coat. "We there yet?"  
  
"Kind of," answered Seph. "But, if no one opens the doors soon, it's a cold ride the rest of the way back."  
  
"Cold?"  
  
"Yes," he sighed, reaching down to pound on the doors again. This time they swung open to reveal a very annoyed Barret. Oh well, no time for that. He pulled the child out of his coat and shoved her into Barret's arms before flipping around to land safely inside the train himself.  
  
For the first time in years, Seph felt appreciated. The members of Avalanche had been worried about him. How embarrassing...  
  
For the second time that evening, Barret told him that any questions (especially if they had to do with pay) would have to wait until they reached the hideout. (He'd also been angry that Marlene had been near Reactor 1 when the bomb went off.) Then he hopped over a bunch of crates, going to the front of the train with the girl.  
  
'How is it,' he wondered, 'that a black man has a kid who's as pale as I am??'  
  
After complimenting him and whatnot Biggs and Wedge followed him. Jessie, to his surprise, lingered.  
  
She leaned really close and said, "Your face is pitch black, you know," then she proceeded to wipe his face off. Then she grinned and followed the others.  
  
He blinked after her. If that wasn't a come on, he didn't know what was.  
  
/Too bad you're gay then, right?/  
  
He nodded absently to the voice that seemed to be occurring more often now than not.  
  
'And schizophrenic, too.'  
  
Soft laughter, /So it seems.../  
  
~*~  
  
At the Hideout  
  
After a drink and a brief discussion with Tifa, the bar's owner, he took the pinball machine down stairs. He smirked at the television. Jessie grinned sheepishly, saying that she must have messed up, making her little bomb. The explosion was too big. The timing was off. It must have been a mistake of hers, right?  
  
Or in the plans. She seemed too intelligent to Seph to easily make a mistake like that. When he told her so, she blushed at him.  
  
He talked with Wedge a few minutes after Jessie got over the compliment, intent on making him something special. He didn't really catch what, though. Wedge was the food person he had seemed to be. Roly-poly because Tifa let him be taste-tester.  
  
And Biggs was more the drinking type. Seph accepted the drinking contest. He figured that he might as well get buzzed, while the other man got slobbering drunk, before talking to Barret about his money.  
  
~*~  
  
Late That Night, Avalanche's 'Counsel Room'  
  
Seph stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It wouldn't be so bad, he decided, if Barret didn't snore so loudly. And he would have sworn that Tifa and Jessie were trying to snuggle with him. He had to keep moving. Sadly enough, he knew that telling them that he was gay would only serve to make them more vehement. And Barret would start accusing him of... well, being a perv, most likely.  
  
He sighed. Alright, if he couldn't sleep down here... maybe he could try upstairs.  
  
~*~  
  
Next Morning, Upstairs  
  
Tifa smiled at the sight of the bar... or, more specifically, the person slumped against it. Seph snored obliviously into the crook of his left arm, katana clutched in his right, like a child would clutch a teddy bear. She giggled. Too cute.  
  
With a snort, he slid off of the bar stool he had been precariously balanced on and fell to the floor with a resounding 'thump'. The giggle grew into a deeper laugh as he spluttered from the floor. "Didn't sleep to well last night, I take it?"  
  
He glared at her briefly before resuming his dignified façade. "Barret's snoring kept me up half the night."  
  
She chuckled again. "Need a drink?"  
  
He resumed his seat and nodded tiredly.  
  
"I'm going with you guys today."  
  
He blinked.  
  
"You didn't realize? Barret was asking for help. I am as well. We need some way to save the planet from the money grubbing Shinra." She sighed. "The rest of us... We're nothing. I don't think Barret realizes that, yet. But you... You are exactly what we need. Would you please..."  
  
"You are going against Shinra..." he murmured, and she glanced up, half- fearfully. "That means... eventually... you'll have to handle Hojo's creations."  
  
"Hojo?"  
  
"Head of scientific research. You could say... I have a grudge."  
  
Her heart skipped a beat. "Does that mean you'll help us?"  
  
"For now, at least," he sighed.  
  
*thump*  
  
*bbbvvvvvvvvvvvvv*  
  
She glanced over at the pinball machine. "Ah, Barret, you're up!"  
  
Barret charged directly up to Seph, nearly running Tifa over in the process. "I can only give you 1000 gil for this next mission."  
  
"..." Seph's eyes narrowed, and Tifa backed up.  
  
"Ah, Barret, you can do better than that!"  
  
Planet, the man could look so pathetic... "But that money's for Marlene's schooling!"  
  
She whispered comfort. Once they won this fight (being the big fight), Barret would have enough to put Marlene through school and then some.  
  
Giant shoulders slumped in defeat. "2000. It's all I got."  
  
Seph lifted one eyebrow. "I suppose you're lucky I'm in this partially for personal reasons."  
  
Barret growled, and Tifa grabbed his arm. Not to keep him from hurting Seph. No, she knew better than that. But, apparently, Barret didn't. Seph could take him down without looking, she was certain.  
  
There would need to be some unity in the group. And for once, she was glad that she had left Nibelheim to come here. She would at least be able to keep Barret from getting himself killed too quickly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Eh? You want me too... Nevermind. By the time this is posted... will have been by.  
  
jen0va99, You wouldn't believe the trouble I went through to figure out who took Seph's place... Seph... well, can you imagine how hard this'll be for him? Just wait 'til Cloud joins them... *evil smirk*  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	4. In The Slums With Zack

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter:  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Tifa gets a call. Sephiroth and Zack play musical chairs. Kinda. Sephiroth gets lost and asks Zack for help.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between . (Yeah, that works!)  
  
Warnings: Very AU. A bit of weirdness (not like that!! Hentais.) with the PHS. Confusion and role-playing, I guess... And, once again, AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Raid On Sector 5 Reactor  
  
Seph scowled across the train compartment at the man sleeping there. He would have sworn that the last time he was on board this train the man was sleeping there as well.  
  
A few feet away from him Tifa jumped. She pulled something out of a pocket. (At least, that's where he guessed it had been.) She lifted it to an ear, and he realized what it was. A PHS. He filed the information away for later.  
  
He listened in on her conversation more out of habit than anything else.  
  
"Huh? Cloud?  
  
"What have I told you about calling me at work?  
  
"You didn't realize? Sometimes...  
  
"Huh? Your pet got into my room? And just how did you manage that?  
  
"One of the... You were trying to hide Vincent? And just what happened that made you want to hide him in my room, with your pet?  
  
"That's what you get for trying to convince everyone that he's a vampire, you know."  
  
At this point, Seph sat back, thinking to himself, 'What the fuck?'  
  
/Sounds like the type I would have liked to know, ne, Seph?/  
  
"No, no, I agree, that wasn't your fault... Okay, the bit up near the old reactor was, but... I see what you mean.  
  
"But you thrashed my room.  
  
"What do you mean, not mine?  
  
"Oh, part of the company now? Damn your insidious...  
  
"What did you do to my cat!?!"  
  
A small trace of a smile lit Seph's face. He agreed that whoever she was talking to sure seemed like someone that Zack would have gotten along with.  
  
/Although... I'm wondering a few things... The names 'Cloud' and 'Vincent' sound familiar./  
  
'Indeed.'  
  
"Yeah, right up Mount Nibel, I'm sure."  
  
'The kid we met in Nibelheim?'  
  
/The one with the monster./  
  
'And Mr. Valentine.'  
  
/Yep./ The mental image of one of Zack's old victory dances hit him then, and it was all he could do not to laugh.  
  
'So, she was the other guide? The one who was off doing something else?'  
  
/That caused a rather painful rant from the boy./  
  
Seph shuddered. He still remembered the piercing tones that had been delivered so loudly from two directions. So caught up was he in his mental conversation that he missed most of the rest of Tifa's conversation.  
  
"Hmmm... Okay. I look for that. But... I get part of the excess, when he finally pays you back.  
  
"Hmmm... Okay, bye."  
  
Seph blinked. He knew he missed a lot. Oh well. It was a private conversation. But some of the information might prove useful.  
  
/Like her knowing that guy?/  
  
'Maybe...'  
  
The sudden sound of alarms going off caused him to nearly fall from his seat.  
  
Laughter in his mind again, /Getting soft, are you?/  
  
He snorted as Jessie came up to him, wringing her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I messed up on your ID. I'm so sorry..."  
  
He patted her head awkwardly. "It doesn't matter. We'll just leave the train." The idea of walking into the reactor was an annoying one, but it wouldn't be too hard.  
  
"You aren't mad?"  
  
He blinked. Why would he be mad? "This..." he shook his head, "You would have gotten in trouble for even a small mistake in SOLDIER, but we aren't in SOLDIER, are we?" He lightly placed a hand on her shoulder, "I highly doubt you were given professional training for this kind of thing."  
  
She gave him a relieved smile. "Go to the front of the train. Safest jump point is up there."  
  
He nodded, and slipped between agitated passengers to the front of the car. Simple.  
  
~*~  
  
Church in Sector 8 Slums  
  
/You always get into trouble, don't you?/  
  
"What?"  
  
/Back in Wutai... And everyone believes that you ended that.../  
  
"Zack..."  
  
/Head hurt? That was quite a fall, Seph./  
  
"I'm fine..." 'What happened, anyway?'  
  
/You fell. You were really up there too. Surprised you made it. Probably shouldn't be. We still don't know what he did to you.../  
  
"Hojo..."  
  
/Yeah, we really need to do something about that.../  
  
"Yeah," Seph sighed.  
  
/You can't do anything if you just lay here./  
  
He opened his eyes. And shut them immediately after. 'Too bright!'  
  
/I was right,/ laughter, /you're just a big baby!/  
  
He carefully cracked his eyes open again.  
  
/And you had a building to pad your fall./  
  
"I fell through the roof." He sat up. 'Of a church?'  
  
/Somebody up there loves you.../ More laughter.  
  
Seph grumbled. How many people had to put up with their best friend's mocking voice in the back of their head?  
  
/I'm not mocking you./  
  
He grumbled a moment more before standing up. Flowers. He had landed on flowers. Why were there flowers in a church? He looked up at the hole in the roof, caused by his fall. The main light that the flowers were getting was from that hole. Maybe they would grow better now.  
  
~*~  
  
Lost in the Slums  
  
He sighed for the umpteenth time. He was hopelessly lost. "This sucks."  
  
/No kidding./  
  
He glanced around. No one. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. "Zack?"  
  
/Speaking to the voice inside your head out loud. That's a sure sign of insanity, you know. What?/  
  
"I was wondering... since you're there... Would it be possible for you to take over?"  
  
/???/  
  
"I'm lost. I never traveled the slums much, you know that."  
  
Zack's voice was thoughtful. /You want me to take over? You don't even know if I'm real.../  
  
"I just want to be able to take back over immediately should I want to."  
  
/...... You mean it, don't you./  
  
"You seem rather reluctant."  
  
/All I've been able to do since... well, you know... was talk to you. It's strange, this prospect of being... alive again./  
  
"Ever since what?"  
  
/You don't remember? I wish that I didn't... Let's just say that the fall from Reactor No. 5 wasn't your first fall like that./  
  
Seph was silent for a moment. "Would you be able to get us back to Sector 7?"  
  
/Yes./  
  
~*~  
  
Sector 6  
  
Zack screwed up Seph's face. It was so strange. He looked at a nearby piece of metal that was reflective enough to show his face. "Hardly any different..." He stretched experimentally.  
  
/Hey, Seph? Would you be adverse to visiting Wall Market?/  
  
'... Not if it's on the way.'  
  
/Barely out of the way. Is that good enough? They're right next door to each other./  
  
'... Fine...'  
  
"We're in Sector 6. Keep going, and we'll come across an old playground... Straight ahead would be Sector 7, to the right, Sector 5. Wall Market." He grinned, wondering if it would tarnish the good General's name if he slummed a bit.  
  
It took about twenty minutes to get to the playground he had mentioned. It was in worse shape than he remembered. He climbed up to the top of an old slide dome. He had thought it the greatest thing in the world when he and Aerith...  
  
"That doesn't help," he muttered to himself, sitting down. It was different. He sighed.  
  
'You know, that's annoying,' Seph complained.  
  
/What?/  
  
'I'm supposed to be depressed, not you.'  
  
/Yeah, well your girlfriend didn't kill you./ Zack stopped there. He had meant to break that one gently to Seph. /Oops./  
  
'So that's what happened. It's a little clearer now.'  
  
He was interrupted by the gate to Sector 7 opening. A chocobo cart. How lovely. It turned towards Wall Market.  
  
/!!!/  
  
'What?'  
  
/Isn't that Tifa?/  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Mako-Magic, Eh, I'm skipping bits I don't think are necessary. It would be really boring if I went through the whole process... Hm... Hate to disappoint you about Cloud, though. He wasn't in Midgar at all, so he couldn't have been... well, you know, by Hojo... As for Aerith... You'll see... *evil maniacal laugh* Huh? Not time for that yet? Aww, damnit.  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Do I really wanna know what Riri did this time?  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On OCs: I hate OCs. I hate them! This is fanfiction people!!! Fanfiction! If you need a character to fill in the space... just steal one from another anime! Make it a mini-crossover! That would work for you, wouldn't it?? Please, if you want your writing read, it's a proven fact that OCs tend to make people avoid fics. So please, please, avoid OCs in fanfiction. Thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	5. Turks: Interlude

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 4  
  
Chapter Title: Turks Interlude  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: The plate goes down... but first, a little fun with our favorite Turks. (All of them.) Reno's got a problem, and Tseng... well, he's scary. Then our hero's get down and dirty with our favorite Turk. (Reno, duh.)  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between . (Yeah, that works!)  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Desk abuse, an obsessive/compulsive Turk. (No, not who you'd think.) Baaaad implications involving Heidegger. Elena being quiet. And, once again, AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A loud thump echoed through the office as two men hit the meticulously clean desk. The blonde girl winced as the desk of what had to be the leader of the Turks went crashing into the wall, tipping over at the very last moment, scattering a smattering of pens, pencils, files, papers and one well placed laptop.  
  
Silence stretched thin for a moment, until a panicked voice exclaimed, "He did it!!"  
  
The blonde man that stood thusly accused, shook his head violently. "Rude did it!" He pointed at the other man.  
  
A deep growl inspired sudden silence from the other three in the room. They all turned to the door. "Die." And the fight was on.  
  
The girl backed away, frightened for her life. This couldn't be the leader of the Turks that she had heard so much about, could it? What bothered her was that one of the men he was... attacking... was the Vice President.  
  
The fight ended almost as soon as it had begun. A deep voice, Rude, whined, "Reno..."  
  
The Vice President rubbed the back of his head, complaining sourly, "It was an accident you know."  
  
"That was my DESK!!"  
  
Rufus blinked. "I thought it was Tseng's."  
  
Reno stared at him. And then pointed across the room. "That's Tseng's desk."  
  
Rufus stared in awe. It was more cluttered than his own. He then looked back at the desk that Reno was carefully tipping back over. Then he looked back at Tseng's desk. Back at Reno. Tseng's desk. Reno. "What the fuck?"  
  
Reno just glared at him. And... how fascinating. Reno was carefully pushing the desk's rollers back into their previous indents in the carpet. Very carefully. He even walked around the desk once he was finished as if to make sure it was exact.  
  
And then he carefully pulled the heavy glass cover back onto it. Straightening it out, oh so, carefully. He then hunched down to pick up the scattered papers. He quickly shuffled through the papers, crimping the edges together as evenly as was possible. Placing them neatly at the corner of the desk, he stared at them for a moment, as if unsure that they actually were even.  
  
Then, the files. They got the same treatment as the loose papers. The laptop went back to the desk next, to be poked and prodded at until it was exactly a quarter of an inch away from the edge of the desk at both ends. And how did they know this? Reno pulled a metal ruler out of a back pocket.  
  
"Always wondered about that," Rufus muttered to himself, still utterly fascinated with the way his friend was acting.  
  
Pens and pencils were neatly placed side by side, next to the computer. And when that was finished... the chair. That took about ten minutes in and of itself.  
  
Once he realized that the entertainment was over, Rufus turned to leave the office. Only to pull up short, nearly running over a rather precariously balanced Tseng, who was trying to drink coffee and eat a rice bowl at the same time while standing up.  
  
Rufus grinned, "Wow, you're talented. How are you standing with your foot like that on your knee?"  
  
Tseng just stared at him while taking another bite from the bowl, followed by a sip of what appeared to be scalding hot coffee. It didn't normally steam so much. "What set Reno off? This time, that is."  
  
"Huh? Oh, that... Rude and I were... talking about... something -that you really don't need to know about- and got into an... argument... that kind of lead into that desk."  
  
Tseng shifted his balance, raising an eyebrow and taking another bite. Another sip of coffee and "I see." He appeared to think for a moment. Getting ready to shift again, Rufus supposed. "It could be worse."  
  
He really wasn't sure he wanted to know.  
  
Tseng sipped again, "Remember the... incident where Hojo thought that Heidegger had been sending him love letters?"  
  
Rufus choked. Reno chuckled from somewhere underneath his desk. Rude... was as blank faced as usual, but that didn't mean much. The blonde chick... well, she was wide-eyed, and obviously trying not to laugh. She was starting to turn green as well, and Rufus was fairly certain it wasn't from jealousy.  
  
Tseng caught the rice bowl off of his knee, taking another sip of coffee, before putting his foot down to stride across the room, ending up between his and Reno's desks. He looked down at the redhead who sat on the floor, staring up at him pleadingly. "No," he said, between a sip of coffee and a bite of rice, "You may not rearrange my files."  
  
"How'd you do that?"  
  
Tseng blinked. "Do what?"  
  
"You only have two hands Tseng. Unless you joined Hojo's happy people again."  
  
Rufus nearly swallowed his own tongue. Eep. "Again? What's this, 'Again'?"  
  
"What did I do?" asked Tseng.  
  
Reno snorted. "Your hands are full. How'd you manage to get the rice in your mouth with those chopsticks?"  
  
Tseng demonstrated.  
  
Rufus blinked. "It makes sense now."  
  
And the blonde chick spoke, "Uhm... Hello?"  
  
All faces turned to her.  
  
"I'm supposed to speak with Tseng."  
  
Tseng took another bite of rice... while sipping his coffee. Nobody wanted to ask. "You're Elena Jun?"  
  
She nodded, wide-eyed.  
  
"I'll be with you momentarily." Tseng turned back to Reno, dropping the now empty styrofoam cup into the trash. "Reno, you've been appraised of your current mission?"  
  
Reno nodded dutifully. "Doesn't mean I like it."  
  
Tseng sighed and finished his rice bowl. "You have to be there within the hour."  
  
"What?" Reno squawked.  
  
"In under an hour."  
  
Reno sighed and nodded.  
  
Rufus was disappointed. His main entertainment of the day was done... and gone, as Reno left the room.  
  
He wandered out as well, shouting after Reno to "Break a leg!" while slipping his CamPHS back into his pocket. He whistled innocently, heading back up to his office. He needed to get some things in order before heading back to Junon.  
  
~*~  
  
Okay, so maybe he was a bit early. It was just as well. AVALANCHE was already there, shooting -slashing in one case- through the Aero Combatants down below.  
  
And then the big man got there. What was his name? Wallace. Wallace was the leader of AVALANCHE. And he was a big man with a gun attached to his arm. Sometimes Reno had to wonder about his boss' sanity.  
  
He dodged the bullets well enough, planting the bomb with little trouble. And then, the rest of the trouble arrived. And he thought he almost recognized the man with the sword. It had to be his imagination though.  
  
"Sorry guys, I can't let you cramp my style," he grinned as the BBM (Big Black Man) started firing at him again. He was very glad of the extra speed he had.  
  
The chick... Tifa Lockheart... owned a bar in 7. Seventh Heaven... He'd miss the homey little place... But right now, she was trying to hit him. And Wallace was a good enough aim that he managed to hit Reno a few times without hitting her or the Ex-SOLDIER that was helping them.  
  
He liked to think he gave as good as he got... But they didn't look to be in half as bad condition as himself when he heard the helicopter arrive. By the Planet, he hoped that was Tseng!  
  
Without much thought, he stunned the muscle-bound, gun-toting leader of AVALANCHE just one more time before glancing at his watch and running (it almost qualified as running) to the chopper.  
  
He wasn't sure exactly what Tseng told the terrorists, he was too busy looking at his unexpected companion. One of the terrorists. Jessie, if his source was right. What was she doing here?  
  
"Barret! She's alright!!" the girl flinched back when Tseng hit her.  
  
Things started going a little hazy. "You know what I'd like to see someday?" he asked no one in particular.  
  
No one answered. 'What?'  
  
"A werewolf with a bald spot..." And it all went dark.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, EEP! *falls over*  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On FFVII: Plotholes!!! There's so many things that are missing from the game!!! I mean, sure, the American monsters are cool and all, but that doesn't make up for the lack of getting Aerith back!!!! It's depressing, it's not right!!! I love the game and all, but come on. You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not notice that there's something missing... I only ever hear one person complain about the plotholes... Says Cid could fly the Highwind through them, they're so big. And what about the Turks? Shouldn't they get a bigger/better part? I hope they do in the movie. I will be depressed if they don't... (Cloud has freckles... Kawaii!)  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	6. Shinra Headquarters

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 5  
  
Chapter Title: Shinra HQ  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Reeve watches our hero's for a bit, and goes to the meeting. He isn't feeling too well...  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between . (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Reno-bashing, I guess. The President and Hojo are in the chapter. And, once again, AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A screen flickered in a dark office on the 66th floor of the Shinra building. Watching the screen was none other than the Head of Urban Development himself, Kyle Reeve. It was the first time in months that he was unable to find anything to do. So, in a fit of boredom, he hacked into the security cameras. And saw something interesting, to say the least.  
  
"The avenging angels," he murmured to himself. One of them was familiar. The others... a lovely woman in a miniskirt (not really what he would consider good for fighting in) and a really tall, really broad black man. "Lockheart and Wallace. The other..." he smiled, "Sephiroth." Avenging angels, indeed.  
  
Even dressed as he was, with the dye covering all but the first centimeter of his hair, Sephiroth was too recognizable. It was a surprise, Reeve reflected, that the Turks hadn't recognized him yet.  
  
He turned his attention back to the screen. The woman, Lockheart, was speaking. =Seph, you know I'm glad you followed me. I really didn't want to sleep with that sick bastard... But that wasn't even what I was talking about. It was that guy from the Turks. He groped me!=  
  
Reeve smiled again, not surprised. They had sent the Turk Reno for the job of taking down the plate, and with his track record, no one should be surprised if he groped the enemy in the middle of a fight.  
  
=And from looking at him, I would have thought he was gay. Ch'.=  
  
Wallace responded, =What makes you say that?=  
  
=Well, to start off,= she began, =there was the sunglasses. I've never seen a straight man use small-lensed sunglasses to hold his hair back. Two, his blazer was too big...=  
  
Sephiroth cut her off. =What's that have to do with it?=  
  
=That's only part of it. His shirt was pink. And don't you tell me it was white, because it wasn't! And he only had two of the buttons buttoned. Third down, and third down from that. It wasn't tucked in, and that would probably be for easy acc...=  
  
She was cut off again, this time by Wallace, =Don't we have something we should be doing right now?=  
  
=Huh?=  
  
Sephiroth sighed, =I'll go out first, and signal back when it's safe to cross. We don't want to get caught too easily.=  
  
Reeve nodded quietly. If Sephiroth wanted to just barge up the stairs and what-not, he could win easily against all the guards that were floating around. But since he opted for the quiet approach, there must have been a reason. 'He doesn't want to scare his prey.' He found himself hoping vaguely that the warrior was after the president... or Hojo. Either one would do.  
  
He blinked repeatedly once he realized that Lockheart was grabbing at her breasts. She patted a bit before reaching inside her shirt. =It's gone!=  
  
Wallace stared at her. Sephiroth was already out the door. =What's gone?=  
  
=My PHS!=  
  
Reeve sweatdropped. And nearly leapt out of his seat when he heard a soft coughing from behind him. He quickly turned off his access to the security camera's before spinning around to see who was behind him.  
  
Reno. A very scuffed and still heavily bandaged Reno. Wait a second... 'My door was locked!' "Don't you know how to knock?"  
  
Reno grinned, shaking his head. "What were you just watching? Looked like security."  
  
Reeve pondered his answer. He couldn't lie about it... But he couldn't just ask a suspicious question either. In the end, he came up with "Yes, it was. They're kind of funny for such destructive people. How much did you catch?" Speaking of which... He found himself eying Reno, checking to see if what Lockheart said was correct. Then made his own additions to what she had said. 'No belt, and designer boots.' He stared at said boots for a few minutes.  
  
When he looked back up, Reno was staring at him, puzzledly. "Reeve? Are you alright?"  
  
"Hm?" he asked. "It was just something the woman had said. About the way you dress."  
  
Reno grinned, "What did she say?"  
  
"She said that you looked very gay."  
  
"Wha?" the grin was lost and Reno looked confused once more.  
  
Reeve shrugged. "As far as I know, I've never seen a straight man wear designer boots." He stood up. "I have a meeting I must be attending. And you should probably get some rest. Looks like you got into a fight with Hojo's latest experiment."  
  
~*~  
  
These meetings always made Reeve uncomfortable. Especially lately. The conference room smelled like shit. And he would swear that he was being watched... and not by Scarlet, either, although she was.  
  
He stood, "We have the damage estimates for Sector 7. Considering those factories we already set up and all the investments, the damage is estimated at approximately 10 billion gil... The estimated cost to rebuild Sector 7 is..."  
  
The President interrupted. "We're not rebuilding."  
  
"What?" he exclaimed as the shock settled in. 'Not rebuilding?'  
  
"We're leaving Sector 7 as it is. And restarting the Neo-Midgar plan."  
  
He fought for control of his breath. 'Calm down,' he told himself, as he said out loud, "...then the Ancients?"  
  
The President grinned evilly, "The Promised Land will soon be ours." His gaze settled onto Reeve who was still standing. "I want you to raise the Mako rates 15% in every area."  
  
Palmer jumped up and down. "Rate hike! Rate hike! Tra, la, la! And please include our Space Program into the budget!"  
  
Reeve sat back down, clutching his shirt in one hand as the President continued as if Palmer hadn't spoken, "Reeve and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase."  
  
Palmer fell to the table, "Oh man!"  
  
Reeve's chest ached for some reason. 'Breathe,' he told himself, once again addressing the President as calmly as possible, "Sir, if you increase the rates, the people will lose confidence..."  
  
"It'll be all right. The ignorant citizens won't lose confidence, they'll trust Shinra, Inc. even more."  
  
Reeve's grip on his shirt tightened as Heidegger laughed. He was certain that he looked really pale. "After all, we're the ones who saved Sector 7 from AVALANCHE!" boomed Heidegger.  
  
'Bastards. Cold, uncaring bastards.' Reeve stared at Heidegger, still attempting to exert control over his breathing. It grew more erratic as Hojo entered the room. He was beginning to feel dizzy. "Hojo. How far along is our plan?" asked the President.  
  
"I'm still trying to find a replacement for the prior specimen. But I have found someone capable of continuing my work. This plan isn't likely to succeed in our lifetimes, you know."  
  
"How long will the research take?"  
  
"Approximately 120 years. It's impossible to finish within our lifetimes, as I previously stated. Or the specimen's for that matter." Hojo paced for a moment. "I'll have to breed the new specimen. I have found... something that may work."  
  
'Dirty bastards,' thought Reeve distractedly.  
  
"What about the Promised Land? Won't this hinder our plans?"  
  
"Until I get my new specimen, I won't be able to answer that." He snickered.  
  
The President hit the table in the manner of a judge, "That concludes our meeting."  
  
Reeve stood along with everyone else, exiting the room. On his way out, he heard Scarlet, who had hung back, speak, "Something stinks..."  
  
He managed to make it back to his office, not realizing that he had been followed.  
  
"Mr. Reeve?" Scarlet.  
  
"Yes?" he asked, for once glad that his desk didn't face the door.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Scarlet was concerned for him? He must be imagining things. "I'm... fine."  
  
She placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. "You didn't look well. And you usually look positively scrumptious..." Scarlet had a strange way of showing her concern.  
  
"I'm alright. I just don't feel to well. But I have work to do, so I have to get to it." He pointedly didn't look at her.  
  
She sighed. "If you say so. Look, Reeve, if you need anything..."  
  
Reeve smiled slightly despite the pain in his chest. "Just ask, right?"  
  
"Exactly. But if you're sick, you should go to the medical wing."  
  
"To Hojo? No thank you." He smiled at her. The pain in his chest seemed to be lessening. "Don't worry. I feel better already." Indeed, his breath seemed to come easier as well. "Thank you for your concern."  
  
"Well, I'll be leaving for the night... Goodnight Reeve."  
  
'Goodnight, Scarlet.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, A Pirate's life for me...! Huh? Oh, yeah... I knew that...  
  
RavensHaelo, I feel very very loved. It's great I got you interested. I hope this part makes you more interested.  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Stereotypical Character-bashing: Okay!! What is it about Tifa and Barret that attracts so much OOC character-bashing? Tifa has on occasion (in the game, even) proved herself to be rather intelligent. She doesn't once act slutty, and she seems to be more of a tomboy than anything else, despite the way she dresses. The only guy in the game that she even seems attracted to is Cloud. And Barret? If you think about it, he's not stupid. He was able to set Shinra into a frenzy with his plans. Also, he's a very big man. He is no wimp. Someone who could lift Cloud's, Tifa's and Barret's weight would be a really strong guy. He does that (one handed) when he grabs onto that cable. Barret is not weak. He's annoying at times, a little egotistical, but he is not stupid, and he is not weak.  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	7. Caught!

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 6  
  
Chapter Title: Caught!  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Still in the Shinra Tower. And if you like Reeve, he's still here!  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between . (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Not much to warn about today... Sorry... But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tifa frowned at the men in the ventilation shafts with her. "Is it just me... or was that man in pain?"  
  
Seph's eyes glowed next to her. "Kyle Reeve. And yes, he was. But that's not important right now."  
  
Barret shifted across from them. "What is?"  
  
The glowing eyes made a light trail back and forth through the air next to her. "Hojo's up to something. I'm worried that Jessie might be that new specimen of his."  
  
"Jessie..." Barret murmured sadly from the darkness.  
  
Tifa stretched across the grate to place a hand on Barret's shoulder. "We'll find her."  
  
Those glowing green orbs next to her narrowed. "First, we must get out of this."  
  
It took a bit of doing, but they were all soon back in the bathroom from which they had begun. "So, where to now?" asked Barret, after squeezing out of the tiny bathroom stall.  
  
Seph peeked out the door to the bathrooms. "We're going to try and catch up with Hojo." He turned back to them and gestured sharply to follow.  
  
~*~  
  
It wasn't that hard, really. Hojo was a clumsy man who left the doors open behind him. "He knew we were watching," Seph observed. "And wanted to be followed."  
  
The observation gave Tifa the chills.  
  
Barret shivered next to her. "Ain't he got no sense of self-preservation?"  
  
"Not so far as I have observed."  
  
Tifa backed into something cold. "Ooh!"  
  
They stared at her for a moment.  
  
"Sorry..." she stared at the container. There was a small glass window on it, above which, the letters J-E-N-O-V-A were engraved. "Jenova?" 'What's that?'  
  
She didn't see Seph's shocked look as she leaned over to look through the glass.  
  
"Hey, guys, take a look at this..."  
  
~*~  
  
Reeve rubbed his chest absentmindedly. The building was mostly empty at this hour. '7:00. Why doesn't anyone ever stay longer? They'd get so much more work done.' He snorted. And bit his lip when the alarm started wailing. "What the...?" He checked his link into the security cameras. Just in time to see the group AVALANCHE get caught.  
  
'How disappointing.'  
  
Not that it was any of his business, certainly. Although, leaving the little puzzle on the 65th floor had been genius, as far as he was concerned... but it was wasted, now. He watched the tape for a moment.  
  
"So, they got the girl out... and that must be one of Hojo's experiments..." he commented to himself about the redheaded boy that was now with them. A tail... And wearing nothing but what must have been Sephiroth's shirt... (considering that the man was now shirtless underneath his trench coat.  
  
"My condolences," he murmured, silently wishing them luck... and perhaps an escape.  
  
~*~  
  
It was some hours later... 'Midnight,' he thought to himself... when suddenly... everything seemed quieter than before. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, in a manner that hadn't occurred to him in years. He slipped a thin bladed knife out of his desk. He wasn't sure what was going on, but trouble was a certain part of it.  
  
He slipped out of his office, staring up and down the hallways. It was too quiet. 'Where's the patrol?'  
  
His heart skipped a few beats when a hand landed on his shoulder, and he almost drove his knife into the man's chest when he was spun around.  
  
Just an MP. "What's..." he had no time to finish his question, because, next thing he knew, he was sitting in a darkened supply closet.  
  
*click*  
  
"Wha?" He pulled on the latch. "Hey!!!" He pounded on the door. "Let me out!!!"  
  
He figured it to be about twenty minutes before some one answered the pounding. The door was pulled aside and he spilled out of the closet onto the floor.  
  
"Why did you...!" He broke off realizing that the business ends of both a sword and a gun were leveled at his face. "Eep!" At the other ends of the weapons were Sephiroth and Wallace.  
  
"Sorry, Uncle Reeve," stated a quiet voice to the side.  
  
"Jessie?" Now that was unexpected. "Gh..." His hands were pulled behind his back. Either by Lockheart, or the boy. "What are you doing here, Jessie?" He decided to focus on that other than the menacing weapons.  
  
"Hojo."  
  
"Hojo? He didn't...?" Why would Hojo do that? He knew that Hojo would not experiment on Jessie. Unless the man was more gone than he had originally believed.  
  
"No..." she shifted a little bit. "Sorry about this... but how did you end up in that closet, anyway?"  
  
He frowned at Wallace. (He couldn't bring himself to frown at Sephiroth, though.) "An MP tossed me in there. I suppose being a hostage is better than being stuck in a closet... I am a hostage, right?"  
  
Jessie jumped up. "Yeah! Don't kill him, Seph! He's got rank! He'd make a great hostage!"  
  
Wallace leaned over to him grumbling, "An' jes' what you do for Shinra?"  
  
Reeve leaned back, intimidated. Wallace was a big man. "I'm... Head of Urban Development."  
  
Lockheart spoke up behind him. "What exactly does that mean?"  
  
"I... control reactor production and public programs. But the President has override."  
  
A soft growly voice that he assumed was the strange boy spoke up. "You don't have anything to do with Hojo?"  
  
Reeve shook his head violently. "No, not really."  
  
"Then I have no grudge against you."  
  
"I should be happy about that, right?" he asked.  
  
The boy chuckled softly.  
  
Wallace grumbled at him. "He's still Shinra."  
  
Reeve smiled weakly. "Only in the most conventional sense. I've been rooting for you the whole time."  
  
He was jerked backward, as Lockheart loomed over him. "What does that mean?"  
  
"Uhm..."  
  
Jessie snorted inelegantly. "That means he had a hand in you guys making it as far as you did. Right, Uncle Reeve?"  
  
"Uhm..." he blinked as a shadow loomed up behind them. "Look out!!"  
  
Sephiroth spun around and killed the small monster that was behind him. "Blue?"  
  
Reeve struggled to sit up with the hands pulling him back. "Rabbit?" he asked.  
  
Jessie groaned. "It spawned?"  
  
He glared at the ball of fluff that was all that remained of the small blue monster. "Is that one of my knives?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
He and Jessie exchanged an unreadable look. One of Hojo's monsters, of course. The rabbit was a well talked about Shinra-style Urban Legend. Very few knew the origin of the beast. Although, it was obvious that it somehow came from Hojo's lab.  
  
Sephiroth glared down at him with his unfathomable green eyes. "And just what did you do to help us?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, ^^ Hehee... (I felt sick earlier...)  
  
RavensHaelo, ^^; Thanks. No OOCs? *sparkles* Yeah, all of them would have to be smart, huh? Sorry I took a while... I need the reviews to get me motivated. Hehee...  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Zack: This guy drives me nuts. (I still like him though...) He's hyperactive, and I think he's ADD. Dear god, anyone who sees the special Nibelheim sequence would know this. Zack doesn't know how to sit still. *rolls eyes* I'm disturbed that Cloud managed to pass himself off as Zack. The man acts like he's on a constant caffeine high. (at least, that's how I act when I'm on one... Heeheehee.....) He's smart, yes, but he don't know how to listen to other people's answers to his questions...  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	8. Escape From Midgar

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 7  
  
Chapter Title: Escape From Midgar  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Reeve's still here, Turks, and then of course, Kalm!  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between . (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Dead people? Strange conversations, and a cliffy. But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
70th Floor, Shinra Building  
  
Head of Urban Development, Kyle Reeve sat on the desk on the 70th floor of the Shinra building staring at the man beside him.  
  
"That... does not look very comfortable," he commented, not sure what else to say to the man who had been ruling over him for most of his life.  
  
Of course, given the current situation, he could say anything he wanted to and just claim trauma.  
  
"Although I doubt uncomfortable is quite the right word for it, anyway." He sighed. "Dead. Not that I didn't want you to die, sir, but I really don't like sitting next to you this way."  
  
He slipped his knife into his hands, which were still tied behind his back.  
  
"I think I need a few days off work, sir. Trauma, you know." He paused a moment. "You wouldn't object, would you? I haven't had a day off in years, I think."  
  
The man in the chair remained silent, and Reeve continued working on the length of rope that had his hands tied together.  
  
"You hadn't taken a break in a while, either, have you?"  
  
Maybe the blood was getting to him. The smell of it was so thick in this room. He wrinkled his nose as his hands came free.  
  
"Although, I think you took a three day last year around the holidays..." Just keep talking. He was beginning to feel light headed. "With your wife, I think... You know, she won't be too happy with you..."  
  
Just keep breathing.  
  
"Hn... That's what they should have told you, 'Just keep breathing'... A little to late for that, though."  
  
Reeve shifted slightly, so he wouldn't have to stare at the man.  
  
"I probably shouldn't have babbled earlier. They left me here, next to you, unconscious... but I guess I got better than you, though, didn't I?"  
  
There was blood everywhere.  
  
"I don't feel like moving. How long do you think it'll take for someone to get here?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Should I call?"  
  
And still the President was silent.  
  
~*~  
  
Just Outside Of Midgar  
  
*patta pat*  
  
"So... what now?" Jessie's voice.  
  
*crunch*  
  
"You promised to tell us what's going on, Seph." Tifa.  
  
*thmp*  
  
"Do ya really know what that was all about? Not that I'm not glad old man Shinra's dead and all, but..." Barret.  
  
*tch tch*  
  
"I'm mildly curious as well." And the mysterious boy, Red XIII.  
  
*ths*  
  
Sephiroth sighed. "In Kalm. We can rest there, as well. And... It's a long story."  
  
They rested for a few minutes.  
  
"I hope Uncle Reeve's alright... that wasn't too nice of us, leaving him next to the President, like that." Jessie dug he toes into the dirt.  
  
Barret asked, "Do you think Marlene's okay?"  
  
And the others assured him as Red XIII asked, "Do you all mind if I come along?"  
  
Seph shook his head. He didn't mind.  
  
Tifa smiled slightly. "It's been a long time since I traveled..."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure you want to go?"  
  
She shrugged. "Whatever Midgar is, it's not my home." Then, "Barret? Can I borrow your PHS? I need to call someone back home."  
  
Seph decided to be curious, "Where's home?"  
  
'Nibelheim,' Zack answered, just as Tifa spoke aloud.  
  
"Nibelheim."  
  
"Would the person you're calling perhaps be named Cloud Strife?"  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
He shrugged. "I heard you say the name a few days ago, and remembered meeting someone in Nibelheim named Cloud."  
  
She grinned. "Did he give you a tour?"  
  
He nodded. "Up to the reactor."  
  
Barret spoke up again. "So what exactly did you do in SOLDIER?"  
  
And there was a big question he had been avoiding for a while. "A lot of things. Mostly escort missions, in the past couple of years... up until I left." He stood suddenly. "You can call your friend as we move."  
  
~*~  
  
Turks Office  
  
"In effect, save points are good for you. They keep you alive when something goes wrong on the mission. Just remember, your body will be exactly as it was when you saved, so, if you saved twenty years ago, Elena, you would be a small child if you were mortally injured.  
  
"Reno, Rude, and I already know just how useful they are..."  
  
"It's kind of creepy finding your own dead body afterwards, though..." piped up a still heavily bandaged Reno.  
  
Tseng glared at him for a moment before continuing. "President Rufus also knows now the importance of saving."  
  
"Nothing like having a sword jammed through you to show you that," Reno piped back up.  
  
"The old President Shinra obviously did not know the importance of saving before continuing."  
  
"Do you think Hojo does?" Reno again.  
  
Rude stared at him through his sunglasses. "Probably experiments with it."  
  
"He must use it! He's been around here for ages and still doesn't look that old!! I bet you he gets 'mortally injured' by his specimens all the time!"  
  
Tseng coughed into his hand and the two distracted Turks were suddenly paying attention. "As I was saying. Save often. You never know when you might get killed."  
  
Reno grinned, "How about save whenever you make a breakthrough in your workout routine?"  
  
Rude frowned. "..."  
  
Elena raised her hand.  
  
"Yes, Elena?"  
  
"I noticed that the Head of Urban Development has been out for a couple of days." She shifted in her seat. "He seemed to be a really nice guy, and I was just wondering if he was alright..."  
  
Reno perked up. "He's taking a break. He'd had a traumatizing day. His plans to rebuild 7 were vetoed, and then the terrorists attacked. He got locked into a supply closet, and then held hostage. Then he was left next to the dead President Shinra. He was talking to the old guy when I got there. Trauma. Big time."  
  
Rude nodded, and for once Tseng agreed.  
  
"Poor guy. He was really nice."  
  
Reno snorted. "Nice? He's a workaholic. I'm surprised that he took off a few days even for that. Oh!! That reminds me. Tseng, did you know, that in his entire time working for Shinra, Reeve hadn't once taken a day off? And that his father had only taken a day off when he was hospitalized?"  
  
Tseng blinked. "Digging in record files again, Reno?"  
  
Reno nodded happily. "Almost all of Reeve's stats match his father's. It's kind of creepy. That guy only worked for Shinra for ten years, though. And then Reeve joined... His dad was a Turk, you know."  
  
Tseng sighed. "I know. I looked up that information when I became a Turk myself. I wanted to know about who I was replacing. I was surprised that we had another employee of the same name, here, so I looked up his records too. There was almost no information on him." Tseng shrugged. "His father was a great Turk, though. I haven't felt like I was living up to my predecessor's talent, that's for sure."  
  
Reno grinned and threw an arm around Tseng's shoulders. "Yer a great leader, Tseng... Just kind of messy... I mean, your desk..."  
  
Tseng growled, "Lay off, Reno."  
  
Suddenly Reno jumped, hand diving into his pants pocket... pulling out, a PHS. He grinned sheepishly at everyone before turning it on.  
  
"Yallow. You have reached the Administrative Research's answering machine..." He began.  
  
=Busty? Heya, Busty?= A high voice rang out from the other end of the line.  
  
"What?"  
  
=Eh? You're not Busty,= the voice complained.  
  
"Of course, I'm male."  
  
=Maybe I got the wrong number?= the voice questioned.  
  
"I don't know. I picked this up from somewhere the other day..."  
  
=You pick pocketed Busty? Wow, you got guts. I know where she keeps her PHS!=  
  
Reno grinned. "I don't remember picking it up, actually..."  
  
=Oh, shit...=  
  
"What's the matter?" Reno asked, ignoring the strange looks from around him.  
  
=The vampire's after me, actually...=  
  
He grinned, "Who are you, anyway?"  
  
=Eh? Name's Cloud, actually.=  
  
"And you're trying to hide from a vampire?"  
  
=Yeah... he's kinda cool, but I think I pissed him off.=  
  
"How?"  
  
=Well... I thought he'd look livelier in something else. He's always wearing this depressing red and black... The leather's nice though...=  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
=I replaced it actually... I remember him saying he liked yellow...=  
  
Reno snorted. "Yellow?"  
  
=Yeah, he said it was a nice cheerful color. I guess he preferred going starkers.=  
  
Reno choked on laughter.  
  
=Oops... Eeeeeeep!!!!=  
  
"Eh? You alright?" Reno asked, mildly confused.  
  
=Fell into the bathroom, that's all.=  
  
"What?"  
  
=Hey! I don't think I've been in here before... Wait... There's no door!! I'm trapped in a bathroom!!! Help!!!=  
  
"Well, I think... I gotta go... Call back when you get out."  
  
=Okay!!=  
  
He pulled it from his ear, and turned it off. "Well, that was fun," he said cheerfully to the three wide pairs of eyes staring at him. "What?"  
  
"Vampires?"  
  
"Yellow?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Eh, what do you expect? I was talking to a hick." 'I think...' Reno added to himself.  
  
~*~  
  
Kalm Inn  
  
"Who should go first. I think all of us have something to say..." Tifa murmured softly.  
  
They all looked at Seph.  
  
Barret spoke next, "You said that this chick... What was her name? Did this, right? How do you know her?"  
  
Seph frowned, "She was... my best friend's girlfriend."  
  
'I miss them both.'  
  
"She went insane... Hojo caused this, I think... Something he said... Or she said... But Zack got caught up in the middle of it. I saw what was going on a little to late... And Zack... He didn't see it coming at all, really..."  
  
Tifa frowned. "I don't understand. Try telling it from the beginning..."  
  
"When we met Aerith? Or when things started getting screwy?"  
  
"From meeting her, but skip the bits that are unimportant."  
  
"It all started one day... We came back from Nibelheim, and there she was near the city gates, selling flowers..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cliffy!!! Cliffy!!!  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Sorry, I didn't get as far as I was trying to, last chapter. Hehee... It spawned. .... .... .... .... Did you bust up laughing at the library? Tell me honest, now. Did you?  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Hojo: He's always portrayed as the bad guy. I've never seen any fics that had a Hojo that was in, but wasn't the bad guy. If you pay attention, during the game, you find out that the injections of Jenova cells were all Gast's idea in the first place. Not that Hojo's not a bad guy in this one, but there's a reason to that. I honestly think that the man was just insane...  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	9. Past Revealed

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 8  
  
Chapter Title: Past Revealed  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Sephiroth explains how he knows Aerith, and then it's Jessie's turn to explain a bit.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between . (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Flashback. Not much but talking, sorry... But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Three Years Earlier, Returning To Midgar  
  
Zack paced back and forth, glancing out the back of the truck occasionally. "Hey, Seph, who's that?"  
  
Sephiroth looked out the window that Zack was pointing out of. "A girl."  
  
"Well, yeah... But I've been through this sector before and never saw her."  
  
He rolled his eyes at his younger companion. "Get over it. Midgar's big. No reason not to recognize a face."  
  
"I would have noticed someone like that... She looks so... wholesome against this backdrop." Zack fell out the back of the truck as it stopped.  
  
Sephiroth almost laughed. Then he noticed something odd. The girl that Zack had noticed was selling flowers. He approached her, hearing Zack mutter behind him, "I thought you were gay..."  
  
He ignored that, instead leaning down so he could look the girl in the eye. "Where do you find flowers in such a dreadful place?"  
  
She looked really uncomfortable under his gaze. "I grow them in a church... Sacred ground, it's the only place they'll grow in Midgar." She twitched and then, "Here, have one. They don't seem to be selling well, today." She beamed at him.  
  
His eyebrows pulled together. "What would I do with a flower?"  
  
She smiled, "You're supposed to give it to a 'special someone'."  
  
He blinked.  
  
She started giggling.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That man... He doesn't look too happy," she giggled.  
  
He turned to find Zack in a somewhat compromising situation with about seven hookers. Three men and four women. He snorted.  
  
Zack had to threaten them away. He pulled out his buster sword (Sephiroth really wanted to know why nobody ever seemed to notice it hanging there off of the man's back...) and shook it vaguely at them. Not realizing that Zack actually wouldn't hurt them, they ran.  
  
"Be careful," he warned Zack, staring at the tiny blossom in his hand, "you'll gain a reputation."  
  
The girl giggled again. Strange really. She herself seemed as delicate as the flower. Lovely green eyes with a perfectly natural light to them, they looked like they belonged to the sea. She was beautiful. But oh so delicate. Fragile, he thought at the time.  
  
He could understand why Zack had become obsessed with that lovely creature...  
  
~~~~But now...  
  
They had gotten along really well, actually. All three of them. The blossom sat in a vase at Sephiroth's counter, blooming now. It wasn't as delicate looking as before, but the girl, Aerith was still so fragile seeming.  
  
Sephiroth felt a little more lonely than before. Of course, he never begrudged Zack of his chance at happiness. Of course there were others who would.  
  
Aerith had taken to visiting Zack when he had his appointments in the science wing. Everything seemed to shift, when she started talking to that scientist, Hojo.  
  
The flower died, and Aerith... changed. She was still nice... but...  
  
She no longer sold her flowers. She hadn't needed the income after moving in with Zack, but she had still done it.  
  
For a couple of years... she spent a lot of time at the science wing. No one had thought to tell her that Hojo was bad news. Everyone knew rumors about him... but many also knew that many of those rumors held truth. They assumed that she also knew.  
  
Of course, Aerith wasn't fragile anymore.  
  
Sephiroth wasn't sure what had set her off, but she went into a psychotic rage one evening. Up on op of the Shinra building... Sephiroth had been coming to visit them...  
  
He got there in time to see Zack fall.  
  
She just laughed. Whatever Hojo had done to her was starting to come into fruitation.  
  
The easiest way to make sure she died for this... Was to take her over the edge.  
  
He really hadn't meant to fall with her... And with the winds blowing... He hadn't seen where she landed, but he himself...  
  
The train graveyard. He managed to pull himself back together after a while. And made it to the Train Station. There to be found by a wandering "do good" woman.  
  
~*~  
  
Present, In Kalm Inn  
  
Barret shrugged. "So, that's why you was in so bad a shape when Tifa brought you in."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"And she used a staff to fight?" asked Jessie ponderously. "That would explain the stick sticking out of old man Shinra."  
  
Tifa frowned at him. "What did Hojo do to her?"  
  
He sighed. "I'm not sure... It had to be pretty bad though."  
  
Red XIII shrugged. "I don't really have much to add. Although... this isn't my proper form, and I would like to return to my proper form as soon as possible."  
  
Tifa stared at him, "What were you before?"  
  
Red XIII shrugged again. "I was a... big cat." He glanced at Jessie, "I do feel like there's something you should be saying, though."  
  
"?"  
  
"Why were you kidnapped?"  
  
Jessie stared at the floor. "Hojo wanted his heir back."  
  
"What?!" Everyone else spoke at once.  
  
"That man... he wasn't always so bad... back then, he was my father... But I don't want to follow in his footsteps, so I left... Uncle Reeve suggested joining one of the rebel groups if I really wanted to rebel..." Jessie shrugged, "I guess he was surprised that I blew up two of his reactors. Although... you know... He was mostly upset for the people near the reactors. Uncle Reeve and Hojo used to be friends... And then Hojo started going 'whacko', as Uncle Reeve puts it." She shrugged. "I always preferred mechanical stuff, you know? You don't have to worry about whether or not it's upset at you tampering with it..."  
  
Tifa huffed. "Everything's connected... and it's starting to give me a headache..."  
  
Barret nodded solemnly. "I think we had all better take a nap. We got a long 'ride' ahead of us."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Mako-Magic, Ain't it great?  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, I knew it. Hahaha hahaha ha! Hahaha hahaha ha! What was blue? I feel loved, even if the Blue thing set in a couple chapters too late for you.  
  
RavensHaelo, Oh, you don't need to worry to much about that... I had to get them out of Midgar, really for things to start changing muchly... btw I thought someone would enjoy that line. Yeah, but I like to think of Hojo as having once been an okay guy, ya know?  
  
Rena Lupin, O.o' Thank you!  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Save Points: You never see these in anything but parodies. In FFVII, it's obvious that the general populace knows that they're there. A weird chick explains about it near the beginning of the game. So, I decided that I ought to have it be a generally known thing. *shrugs* Why not?  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	10. Enter Cloud

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 9  
  
Chapter Title: Enter Cloud  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: We follow as Cloud heads off to Fort Condor... And then everyone gets to meet Cloud.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. A bit of het... (Don't worry, though... it won't last...) General weirdness concerning Cloud. But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Junon Harbor  
  
Cloud had never really found himself all that interested in women. According to his mother, most males found breasts interesting. But, having grown up around Tifa... he found that he had a distinct dislike of them, really.  
  
He didn't understand how a woman could stand having them... They looked so ungainly.  
  
But that's getting off track. He hadn't ever found himself interested in a woman. Which is why he was so surprised at the pull he felt towards this girl he had met earlier that day.  
  
There was a strange feel to the air around her that made her seem ethereal. Although, what had caught him most were her eyes. Soul-deep emeralds, and full of an unidentifiable _something_ that made his heart ache.  
  
He had been drawn to her, hook-line-and-sinker. Too bad he didn't have much time to talk to her.  
  
He hadn't even caught her name, but apparently he reminded her of someone that she had once known.  
  
Unfortunately, even while she was staying in Junon, for a couple of weeks, she said, he had to head off to Fort Condor. (He was to guide some troops to take out some Shinra soldiers. Yay!)  
  
She gave him her best wishes, and stood in silent awe as Nibie came off of the ship to follow him. He grinned, waving a cheerful farewell. He got that response a lot, over his pets, usually. Of course, they were usually more shocked when he did as he did now.  
  
He caught the fur at the base of Nibie's neck and swung himself up onto the huge wolf's back. This was so much better than riding chocobos.  
  
~*~  
  
Just Outside Of The Mythril Caves  
  
Tifa ranted, Barret listened. Red XIII gave no indication of what he thought of the proceedings.  
  
"I can't believe they would think we were that stupid!!"  
  
Barret grumbled softly at her, "Seph seemed to think that they spilled the info on purpose."  
  
"Of course they did!!!" Her chest heaved. "They seem to think we'd be stupid enough not to know that!"  
  
He scratched the base of his neck, and as usual, Red XIII proved to be no help. "So... Do we believe them, or not?"  
  
"Seph says it's worth checking into. Unless Aerith is going to Fort Condor -and she isn't, 'cause that would be a dead end-, she must be heading for Junon." She sighed loudly.  
  
Barret swore loudly when he noticed a large -very large- monster heading toward them.  
  
"Eep!!" Tifa squeaked. "What is that?"  
  
Red XIII's tail quivered. "Something that may have once been an owl."  
  
With their lack of ability, it was too much to handle alone. 'Where are you two?' Barret wondered of Seph and Jessie. They had gone to see if anyone at the Fort could confirm what the Blonde Turk had said.  
  
Red XIII began to chuckle. As they were almost beaten, Barret could not see anything funny about the situation. "What's so funny, Cat-boy?"  
  
"There is always something bigger," the redhead managed to choke out as a gigantic wolf landed upon the thing that they had been fighting. It leapt back and there was a loud, high-pitched howl... One that couldn't have come from the wolf.  
  
Then the remainder of the Zemzelett was cleaved in two by a rather wicked looking sword. "Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhh!!! Nibie!!!" That voice... sounded human. And suddenly it became clear. Someone was helping them.  
  
"Eh, Tifa!!" the voice exclaimed.  
  
Tifa sat up from where she had fallen when the wolf had all but fallen from the sky. It was still there, he noted. But it didn't seem inclined to attack, so he'd leave it be.  
  
"Cloud?" Tifa asked, hopefully.  
  
A slim blonde man appeared from the other side of the wolf, a large cheerful grin across his face. "Ne, Tifa, I think Midgar's been too easy on you."  
  
Barret would give the guy one thing, he sure looked different than anybody he had ever seen. The man's hair was vaguely reminiscent of a chocobo's feathers (same color, too), with a semi-long, spiky pony-tail in back. He wore a moss green turtleneck shirt with leather covering his right arm, wrapped, from his shoulder down.  
  
A lone, awkward looking piece of armor guarded his right shoulder, and a heavy bangle decorated his right wrist, just above what looked to be a brass knuckle. His right knee, and lower leg, was adorned with a rather old style and terribly banged up knee guard and shin guard. There was no armor on his left side, at all. Very strange.  
  
A leather belt, equipped with suspenders, for some reason... (or perhaps it was how he kept that sword hooked where it was supposed to be...) and a dusty pair of ancient looking blue jeans, and his outfit was completed with a pair of somewhat worn leather hiking boots.  
  
Something told Barret that the wolf was part of the ensemble.  
  
"Cloud!!" Tifa screeched, darting over to hug the man who was apparently the mysterious 'Cloud' he had always heard about.  
  
He hugged her back, gingerly. "Eh, Tifa... You haven't been keeping up with your training, have you? The Tifa from back home would have been able to handle that thing with both arms tied behind her back!!"  
  
She smacked him in the head. "Midgar isn't exactly the best training grounds, you know!"  
  
Mako blue eyes stared upward for a moment as the blonde rubbed the back of his head with his left hand.  
  
"Cloud?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why haven't you put your sword up yet?" Now that Tifa pointed it out, Barret noticed that the grizzly sword was still in the blonde's hand.  
  
Cloud glanced down. "Oops... Heheh..." He attached the sword to a holder on his back, carefully letting go of it and putting his hand back down. "I've been having a bit of trouble with that hand lately..."  
  
Tifa glared at him, "Hard time? What happened to it?"  
  
He shook his head. "You see... I had this baby Zuu... It really didn't like being handled much. I let it go a couple of weeks ago. Tried using a Cure3... It must have severed some nerves... maybe a tendon..."  
  
"Cloud!!"  
  
The man jumped, then scratched the back of his head with his left hand.  
  
"I thought your mother didn't want you bringing home any more of those things!"  
  
He grinned sheepishly at her. "She has a hard time arguing about it when I've got it right there with me... It was cute, I couldn't leave it on it's own like that..."  
  
"So."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"What exactly did it do to your arm?"  
  
"Nearly tore it off, actually." He flexed his right arm slightly. "It caught a hold of me right here..." He tapped his arm, right below the elbow, "and bit me here..." right under the shoulder, "and pulled." He shook his head. "Hurt like Ifreet himself was clawing his way up my arm. Ouchies."  
  
Tifa was silent for a moment, so Barret decided that it was as good a time as any to get in any words edgewise. "You're Cloud?"  
  
The man jumped slightly then looked him over. It was one of those stares that makes you feel like the person knows every wrong you've done and it shakes you to the core. Then Cloud grinned. "Barret, right?" He extended his left hand.  
  
Barret shook his hand, noticing a very large difference in the sizes of their hands. Cloud's hand wasn't any bigger than Tifa's, while Barret's was probably at least as big as the guy's skull. "Yeah... I heard about you," he commented.  
  
Cloud blinked. "You know, I get that a lot... But I've heard about you too. For a guy who lived in Midgar, I must say, I'm impressed." He then looked at Red XIII who was eyeing the wolf. "And you are?"  
  
Red jumped. "Hm? Oh, they call me Red XIII."  
  
"That can't be your real name." The blonde was unimpressed. "But if that's what you prefer being called..."  
  
"Nanaki. I am named Nanaki."  
  
Cloud bowed his head slightly, "Thank you, Nanaki." The big grin returned quickly to his face. "And that's Nibie."  
  
"Huh?" asked Barret.  
  
"The wolf, her name's Nibie."  
  
Suddenly Seph's voice cut in. "Ah, a familiar voice... and a familiar face," he added, pausing before the huge wolf.  
  
Cloud looked startled. "Eh? You know Nibie?"  
  
Seph glanced over at him, "You don't remember me?" The look on his face changed a bit, looking vaguely hurt.  
  
"Ehh..." Cloud was suddenly in front of Seph, peering into his face. "Oh! Heya, sir!" Cloud then grabbed Seph's hand, shaking it rather enthusiastically. Then paused. "Who's this?" speaking of Jessie. "Wait a minute! You're the techie-chick! Jessie, right?"  
  
Jessie backed off quickly. "Uhm, and who are you?"  
  
"Eh?" Cloud paused, startled that someone here didn't know who he was. And then, "I'm Cloud Strife."  
  
She nodded vaguely.  
  
"And this is Nibie," he pointed at the wolf, who was now licking Seph. Now that, Barret grinned, was a sight.  
  
~*~  
  
After a lot of talking, they all parted ways. Cloud, off to see to some battle at the Fort, and the rest of them to follow Aerith. Speaking of which, Sephiroth himself now remembered that he had forgotten to ask the young man about that.  
  
Too late now. And off they all headed for Junon.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, Yuppers. Am continuing... Really glad you like this...  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, You really think so?? Hope you like this one as well, then, ne??  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On the Turks: I have such a hard time finding good Turks fanfiction. I love the Turks! Especially Reno. And Tseng. Tseng's awesome. And purty. They're both purty. Rude's funny, and Elena's cool too, even if she is slightly psycho... You don't find much good Reeve fanfiction either, and I like them all!! Why don't people write more about them?? *cries* *huggles Reeve and Reno dollies*  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	11. Between Condor Junon & Costa del Sol

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 10  
  
Chapter Title: Between Condor Junon & Costa del Sol  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Phone calls with Cloud... And a mildly traumatized Reno.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. PHS with Cloud. Sexual insinuations (Yaoi and het). Cait Sith. But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Outside of Fort Condor  
  
Cloud walked. Sure, it would be faster to just ride Nibie, but she didn't like letting him ride too often. He would get where he was going in good enough time.  
  
And where was he going? Back to Junon, of course.  
  
He grinned. He was going to try to catch up with Sephiroth and Tifa. And maybe, while he was at it, with the green-eyed girl he'd met in Junon. In all honesty, he wasn't sure which way he'd prefer it. Sephiroth and that girl were equally interesting.  
  
"What do you think, Nibie?"  
  
The wolf gave a soft grunt.  
  
"You didn't like her, did you? Why not? You liked Sephiroth just fine, didn't you?"  
  
She whined softly.  
  
"And he was Shinra! You even licked him, back when we first met, remember?"  
  
She grumbled at him.  
  
"Well, of course I liked him... Still do, I think... but I like her too!"  
  
A high-pitched ringing startled him into jumping. "Eh? Who could that be? Another commission?"  
  
"Hello?" he answered as Nibie grumbled at him again.  
  
=Yo!!! Cloud?=  
  
"Eh? Who's this?" he asked.  
  
='S Reno...=  
  
"Oh!" he grinned. He liked Reno. "What's up?"  
  
=Not much... I was kinda bored, and yer funny.=  
  
"I'm funny? I hope you mean that in a good way..." he frowned slightly.  
  
=The very best, really.=  
  
"Hey!" Cloud exclaimed. "I just realized! You'd be the perfect person to ask this..."  
  
There was a startled pause on the other end, =I hope this isn't one of those love-life questions...=  
  
"How'd you know?" he asked, vaguely startled.  
  
=Shit.=  
  
"Well, here goes nothing... You see, there's this guy I kinda like... I met him a few years ago, right? He was pretty cool, and my... dog likes him... And then there's this chick I just met... She's beautiful, you know, and really nice... but I don't know her name... and my... dog... doesn't like her at all..."  
  
=Try sleeping with one or the other of them, and see how it progresses from there.=  
  
Cloud blinked. "..."  
  
=And just so as you know... I'm drunk right now.= Reno chuckled.  
  
"..."  
  
=What?  
  
=No, Rude, I'm talking to that guy...  
  
=What?=  
  
There was a long pause. =... ... ... No Rude. I'm not having an affair with this guy.=  
  
Cloud gave a startled chuckle. "Is your friend there drunk too?"  
  
=Very.=  
  
Reno paused again. =Don't you have a meeting to be attending?  
  
=You know... with your bald friends.  
  
=Hm?  
  
=Yeah, I'll be fine... If I don't make it back by morning...  
  
=Yeah, just send Tseng after me.=  
  
"You're smashed, aren't you?"  
  
=Not quite... But almost... And I'll definitely feel it come morning...=  
  
"Well... I guess I'll leave you to it, then... Later."  
  
=Yeah... Later...=  
  
Cloud hung up, feeling strange. Reno was cool and all, but man, was he weird.  
  
The PHS rang again. "Hello?" he answered.  
  
=Cloud?=  
  
"Tifa?"  
  
=Are you done with your thing at that place?=  
  
"Uhm, yeah..."  
  
=Could you... join us? You know, help us out...?=  
  
"Uhm... I guess... You are... Where are you guys, now?"  
  
=At Junon, trying to figure out how to cross the ocean without any money...=  
  
Cloud chuckled. "Stow away on a ship. Should be easy enough."  
  
Speaking of which... Cloud was now in a bit of a hurry. He had to catch up before they managed to stow away... but that's only if Tifa took his advice.  
  
"Heya, how about this... I hurry out there, and you do as you must... but let me hurry on out there, eh?"  
  
=Uhm... Okay... Can't wait 'til you get out here... Seph's been acting strange, since you left... Pops in with some really weird comments that are totally not him...=  
  
Cloud blinked. Like he hadn't heard that one before. "Yeah, yeah... Gotta go now, then. See ya when I catch up ta ya, and believe you me, I will... Fair quickly too."  
  
He hung up the PHS, again.  
  
"Well, Nibie, looks like we gotta hurry, again... hope we see that chick again, eh?"  
  
The wolf grumbled as he leapt to her back.  
  
"Hiya!!"  
  
~*~  
  
A Couple Days Later, Just Outside Junon  
  
Cloud wheezed, hopping down from Nibie's back. She wheezed back at him. He rolled his eyes at her, heading straight across the lower part of town to the freight elevator on the other side.  
  
A simple wave of a pass, and he was let in. It took a bit of convincing to get the man to allow Nibie past, though. Not too hard though... And it was so much easier to get on the boat...  
  
As easy as it was, he still had yet to find Sephiroth, Tifa and crew... This would take a while...  
  
~*~  
  
Costa del Sol, Same Day  
  
The cat on top of the large white mog wiped his forehead. "What am I doing again?" he asked the mog.  
  
The mog shrugged.  
  
"And that guy?"  
  
The mog hummed. He didn't have anything to say on the subject... and if he did, he really couldn't say it here.  
  
The man in question appeared to be having a nervous breakdown. He was a good looking guy, really. Long red hair tied into a ponytail fell past his shoulders, as from the front, several locks of hair sprang wildly forth, though the bulk of it seemed to be held back by a pair of small-lensed sunglasses. He wore a rather sloppy suit, that fit his thin frame in a rather interesting manner.  
  
The cat grinned. "You know, I don't care if you don't want to tell me about this guy... I wanna know... So! I'll go straight to the source!"  
  
The mog stiffened as the cat leapt from his head. He then leapt at the small feline, trying to trap it in his large paws.  
  
The cat grinned back at the mog. "Well... Okay, I know who he is... And I still want to talk to him... See what's wrong, you know! Get his number. Oh, you already know that... but I want it for myself!"  
  
The man in question muttered to himself quietly. "Twenty years. Twenty fucking years. How could I not have noticed? How could he have passed himself off as his own son? How the fuck... Twenty fucking years older than me... What the fuck..."  
  
The cat sidled up to him. "Hey, good-lookin'!"  
  
The mog held his head in his paws.  
  
The redhead stared at the cat momentarily. "Hello?"  
  
"What's yer name, sexy?" the cat grinned as the mog shook his head.  
  
The redhead stared briefly at the sky. "I think... the trauma has finally gotten to me... The cat is talking. The cat is hitting on me. Ah, what could it hurt?" he looked back at the cat, "Reno. You?"  
  
"I'm Cait. The mog is Sith. Don't really expect much of a talking from him, really. He still won't talk to me, and I've known him for a lifetime... my lifetime, that is... He's older than me, really. Thirty- seven years, really. But then, he's a mog." The cat, Cait, grinned at Reno.  
  
Sith just shook his head.  
  
"What's wrong, though? You look like you don't feel well..." Cait leaned toward him, giving him soulful kitty-eyes.  
  
"Oh... just found out that someone I knew who I only thought was five years older than me was actually twenty years older than me. And I was hitting on him last time I saw him, too." Reno shook his head in a slightly mortified fashion. "He's old enough to be my father..."  
  
The cat blinked at him. "Who was this?"  
  
"Kyle Reeve. Nice guy... Rufus really didn't explain why we're supposed to hunt him down... Loose secrets apparently. I hate the thought, but I think we'll be ordered to kill him. Don't know if I'd be able to do it, if it came down to that... If he's as good as the records say, I think we might not even be able to catch him. Good for him though, if that's the case..."  
  
"Sooo... Now that that's aside, there's no way on the planet you could be younger than me... So, whatdaya say to you, me, the mog and some tapioca pudding in a hot tub?"  
  
Reno just stared. Until Sith's paws came down, trapping the cat.  
  
The mog grumbled in a rather annoyed fashion. Cait's voice came through, "What a time to go all manly on me..." He crawled out onto Sith's head. "Hey! Want me to read your fortune?"  
  
"Sure... why not..." Reno sighed.  
  
The mog grumbled again, and rocked back and forth for a moment. Cait reached back and pulled a piece of paper from behind Sith's wings. ":Where you least expect, you will find what you're looking for.: Now that was generic..."  
  
Reno smiled. "I would least expect to find Reeve in my bed... But I doubt that he's going to be there..."  
  
Sith shook his head as Cait answered, "That doesn't necessarily mean Reeve..." Then the cat frowned. "You were already seeing someone else! And you didn't tell me!!"  
  
The mog smacked him.  
  
"Oh, yeah... Least expect... go figure." The cat grumbled for a moment. "Want me to try again?"  
  
"Sure," Reno answered, amused.  
  
The mog rocked back and forth again. And then paused, looking really uncomfortable.  
  
"What?" asked Cait. "Paper jam? Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
Once that was cleared, the mog continued rocking back and forth for a moment. Cait once again pulled a piece of paper from between its wings. ":Big and Fluffy is not your thing.: Sorry, Sith. Go again?"  
  
Reno nodded. This was kind of funny.  
  
The mog rocked back and forth again, before the rest of the routine was concluded by Cait. ":In order to keep your heart's desire, you must first let it go...:" Cait leaned back. "Uhm... that's a first."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"That's kind of depressing..." Cait scratched at his ear. "I would follow you around over it, but my fortune says to stay with the sun until the moon comes. Not sure what it meant, so I assume that I'm supposed to hang out here in Costa del Sol until I get mooned."  
  
"Visit the bar... or the beach at night. You're sure to get mooned." Reno grinned at him.  
  
Cait looked sad. "I was hoping you would..."  
  
Reno sweatdropped as the mog once again smacked the cat.  
  
"See you later," Reno inched away. These two... well, the mog talked less than Rude, but seemed foul tempered. And the cat... well, he didn't want to get into that...  
  
Wait until he told Rude about this one...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, ^^'... You like Cloud's little pets? lol Cloud's eyes will be explained... It may take me a while to get to that, though, but there is a reason... As for Aerith... Well, Cloud's gonna be a little confused for a while, that's all.  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, I love making people laugh, as always... (Description of arm problem fit, ne???)  
  
RavensHaelo, O.o' lol. You know, I've never seen Reeve/Cloud slash, either... And this won't be either. (Sorry.)  
  
Rena Lupin, Okies. *SFX robot voice*  
  
XD, ^^' Hehee... Gotta love 'em...  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Cid!!: God, this man has a foul mouth, he's old, he smokes, and he still manages to be the coolest of the good guys. (There's just something about lighting dynamite off of a cigarette that's just cool!!) You know how he lights up after a fight? Aren't you supposed to do that after sex? And he's a chocobo racing enthusiast! He always asks if he can ride my gold chocobo... (Could that be a slash implication?) I think him and Vincent are cute together! He's so cooool though... in a rugged sort of 32 year old way... I think he keeps forgetting to shave too... he's like got a two-day shadow all the time... Not sure how he manages that one, though... Maybe he shaves before going to sleep... hm...  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	12. Off To Costa del Sol

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 11  
  
Chapter Title: Off To Costa del Sol  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: On the Shinra boat... Preceded by a bit of Turks... *Turks theme plays*  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Mukki. Chocobo boxers. *shrugs* Mild confusion toward the end, there... But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Bar In Costa del Sol  
  
"You wouldn't believe it... and it was a cat! I was hit on by a cat!"  
  
Rude stared at Reno before opening his mouth to say something. He closed it without speaking, however, when he lost his train of thought due to the man on Reno's other side who was avidly hitting on them both.  
  
"Would you like to join my young bubbies club? We travel around the world..."  
  
Reno cut him off, "Heya! I'm having a breakdown, here! I was hit on by a cat! Cat's don't even talk, you know! How could it hit on me!?"  
  
The man leered. "You're that lovely, Bubby."  
  
"And for the third time... It's Reno, not Bubby!!" Reno tossed back the shot glass. He then held it out to the bartender for more. "I don't like hallucinating..." he whined.  
  
The man looked at him sadly. "Then you should probably stop drinking, Bubby..."  
  
Reno slammed the glass down and turned to the guy, "I was sober when the cat was hitting on me. I don't think it was the alcohol then, now do you?"  
  
Rude frowned at Reno. "..." His friend was getting a bit too drunk. "We should be going on soon," he commented quietly.  
  
"Uh?" Reno turned to eye him blearily. "Oh, right, I guess so..." He stood and swayed.  
  
Rude sighed. "We'll leave in the morning," he stated, taking another drink of his booze.  
  
"Oh, sure..." Reno sat back down. "What's yer name, anyway?" he asked the man next to him.  
  
"Mukki."  
  
~*~  
  
On the Shinra Boat, to Costa del Sol  
  
Cloud wandered down the main hall of the guest section of the ship. Nibie was curled up in his room, sleeping. She didn't like walking around onboard ships. He didn't have much of a choice, though. He would get sick if he didn't.  
  
So he paced. He was a bit surprised, really, when he ran into that girl. The green-eyed girl.  
  
She smiled at him sweetly. "Can I have your pants?"  
  
He blinked. That was the first time someone asked for his pants... he'd been asked for his shirt plenty of times... but never his pants. "Sure," he said, somehow managing to slip them off without removing his armor... or his shoes.  
  
She stared at him.  
  
'Eh? Why's she staring?' He looked down. And blushed. Chocobo boxers. 'So what? I'm still a kid at heart!!!'  
  
She then jumped up and kissed him.  
  
'Eh?' His face reddened. He backed off, wide-eyed. "Uhm... uhm... eh..." he turned tail and ran.  
  
She just stared after him, confused.  
  
He got around a corner and stopped, huffing. She kissed him. Not only that, she had his pants now, too. He looked down at himself. "Now I need a new pair... I liked those pants," he told the wall.  
  
It was just his luck, really, that Heidegger came through the door next to him.  
  
"Eeep!" he squeaked, and decided not to confront the man. So, once again, he ran, with Heidegger behind him booming out something about streakers.  
  
He charged down a flight of stairs before running into a bunch of crates. When he regained his equilibrium, he realized that he was mostly in one. Easy hiding place, he decided, pulling his arms and legs into it, and pulling down the top.  
  
"No one's in here, this crate is e~empty," he sang quietly to himself.  
  
~*~  
  
Shinra Boat, Cargo Hold  
  
Yuffie Kisaragi, ninja and material hunter extraordinaire, had just joined AVALANCHE. And was already sick of it. Really sick. Not to mention that she was stuck in a really annoying sailor outfit. She already hated her situation. Of course, she never really liked it anyway, so what was the difference now?  
  
She hated boats. She always got seasick.  
  
Of course, she was more than mildly disturbed when a strangely dressed blonde man crashed down the stairs, falling into the crates. Even worse when he pretended to be a hermit crab, by pulling back into the crate he landed in, closing it after him.  
  
"No one's in here, this crate is e~empty" sand a quiet tenor from within the box.  
  
She decided to pretend that the guy was right, as she fought off the rising nausea.  
  
~*~  
  
Unknown  
  
-Thank you.-  
  
"I still don't get the big deal."  
  
-You wouldn't stop staring!!-  
  
"And I don't see why that's a big deal."  
  
-It's because when you were staring, you wouldn't even answer me!-  
  
"It was a nice view..."  
  
-You drooled...-  
  
"Like I said, nice view."  
  
-Humans.-  
  
"And various single celled organisms, I'm sure. Are you an amoeba?"  
  
-...-  
  
"You are, aren't you?"  
  
-...-  
  
"And that's why you refuse to answer, isn't it?"  
  
-You are impossible, you know that?-  
  
"Hm?"  
  
-And you would ask that blonde for his pants...-  
  
"I wasn't sure he would give them to me... he didn't even ask 'what for', he just gave them to me... That was so sweet..."  
  
-And what would you have told him, if he had?-  
  
"That I was trying to get someone else dressed, and couldn't find clothes for them."  
  
-Hm, I suppose that would have worked... the boy seemed simple-minded enough...-  
  
"I'm still not sure how he managed to do that..."  
  
-There are some things that even I don't know... and in this case... I don't even want to.-  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, .'  
  
Angefantasy, I like Reno too. *smile smile* The thing with Cloud's eyes will probably be explained before the Aerith/Cloud/Seph thing is resolved... And that's just going to get a bit more complicated... Which wouldn't be too hard to believe...  
  
RavensHaelo, Heheh... I enjoyed writing that... I honestly can't imagine Reeve and Cloud together... Speaking of odd Reno/Cloud fics.... they all seem to be fairly odd, don't they?  
  
Don't have anything to rant on at the moment, sorry...  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	13. A Little Look Around the World

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 12  
  
Chapter Title: A Little Look Around the World  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: We find out a little more about Cait Sith. Cid entertains a guest, and Vampy watches over Cloud's business.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Cait Sith. Cid. Palmer being eww (barely noticeable). Dropping in FFVIII characters to fill in blanks. But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Costa del Sol  
  
Cait glanced down at his mog friend. "Aren't you hot in there?" he asked, sounding mildly concerned.  
  
Sith grunted.  
  
Cait sighed. "I would feel better if you'd just talk. It's not like you'd be overheard, here. So, talk to me, tell me what's wrong."  
  
Sith shook his head.  
  
"Is that a 'No I won't talk' or a 'No I'm not too hot'?" Cait closed the window. "There, no one can see you now, either."  
  
The mog shuffled around the room for a moment, glancing this way and that. Then finally he turned back to Cait. "This," he enunciated clearly, "is absurd."  
  
Cait grinned at the delicate wording. "You couldn't come up with anything better, I noticed."  
  
"It's humiliating."  
  
Cait continued to grin.  
  
"I'm a man, not a mog!  
  
Cait jumped up and down on the bed momentarily. "You know how hard it is to find nice places like this these days? Especially for only 300 thousand gil."  
  
"Are you even listening?"  
  
"Not really," Cait admitted.  
  
"..."  
  
"Although, ranting is good for you, man. You need to get it off of your chest, before you blow up." Cait looked up at the mog from the bed. "You remember that meeting. You had a heart attack. And don't you go saying that it wasn't! It may have been a minor one, but you went right back to work!" He leapt from the bed to stand in front of his friend. "That's not healthy, Reeve! You can't do stuff like that without consequences!"  
  
The mog growled. "You can't call me that..." he was interrupted.  
  
"Yeah, I can; there's no one around to hear it anyhow."  
  
"Just because you don't think there is..." said the man dressed as a mog.  
  
"Doesn't mean it's so; I know this, Reeve. But you designed my systems, so I have a bit more confidence in them than I would if someone else had." The cat scratched his head. "Besides, I think this could be good for you."  
  
Reeve, aka Sith, sighed. "What exactly did I have in mind when I was designing your personality?"  
  
"As far as I know, you didn't think that far ahead," Cait grinned. "But I seem to have the traits you need."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You, my dear mog-imitator," the cat said dramatically, "are one repressed mog-dressed-man." He rolled his eyes. "Depressing. You need to get laid!"  
  
Reeve spluttered. "I...! Hey!"  
  
The cat cracked up, "You ain't denying it, though, are you?" Cait leered for a moment. "You like that guy, don't you?"  
  
The 'mog' glared at him. "What guy?"  
  
"The redhead. Reno." He grinned happily, "I know I do. There's just something about the way he stands, you know?" He leered again, "That loose way he moves, even when he's obviously upset. Then there's the way he wears his clothes. Most people can't make the I-slept-in-my-clothes-look look good, much less sexy. Even you, Mr. Repression, should be able to admit that!"  
  
"Would you stop calling me repressed?"  
  
"Not until you admit it."  
  
"Admit what?"  
  
"That you're repressed. And that Reno looks sexy."  
  
"... ..." the 'mog' sighed. "Fine. Repressed is all but my middle name. Now would you...?"  
  
"Sorry, you forgot the rest of it, my dear repressed alter-ego," replied Cait.  
  
"Fuck you."  
  
"Not good enough, Reeve," Cait grinned.  
  
The 'mog' danced back and forth for a moment, torn between ripping Cait apart, and admitting what they both already knew.  
  
"I'm waiting." The cat sat cross-legged on the bed.  
  
"... ..." And Reeve realized something very shocking. They both already knew. What good would not saying it do? "Fine. Reno does look sexy sometimes. But I'll have you know, I still hold the strings here."  
  
Cait nodded. "I know. I can be disconnected and or reprogrammed. Although, considering the lack of tools, you would have a hard time doing the latter around here..."  
  
"Actually, I need you. Therefore, it would have to be reprogramming," Reeve said coldly.  
  
"Like you haven't made that threat before."  
  
Reeve deflated. "Kjata, I wish you'd stop doing that..."  
  
Cait grinned again. He looked vaguely confused for a moment when Reeve was suddenly not in the mog anymore. "How'd you do that?"  
  
"Hn? Oh, and in reference to the original question, I am overly warm. And I need a shower." Reeve wrinkled his nose at his clothing. His usually crisp white shirt was wrinkled in an odd fashion, and his slacks were looser than they had been before. Not to mention he was damp with sweat.  
  
Cait tipped his head to the side. "Have you lost weight, or is it just me?"  
  
Reeve pulled off his shirt, muttering, "Just you. No, my pants don't have an extra three inches to them." He glared at the cat upon the shirt's removal. "I had plenty to eat this past week." He threw the shirt at the cat, before unbuckling his belt, which was a couple of notches tighter than he had normally kept it. "You'll have noticed, I'm sure, that I've had about three meals all week? All of which were bento boxes?"  
  
The cat pulled the shirt off of his head in time to hear the bathroom door slam.  
  
And then Reeve's voice came through the door. "Go get me some take out!"  
  
~*~  
  
Rocket Town, Mayor's House  
  
The illustrious Captain Cid Highwind paced back and forth through his kitchen. "Where's my damn tea? Where's Shera? I want my damned, fucking tea!"  
  
He paused to glare out the front window. To his surprise, there was a car out there. A white Shinra-style government issue car. With the space program emblem on the door. His mouth fell open, and he lost his as of yet unlit cigarette. The one that he had been about to light, due to the stress of not having his damn tea.  
  
"Who the feckin' hell could that be?" he asked himself. No one was in the car, as far as he could see, so there was no way to tell... but he'd hazard a guess... "Palmer?"  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
'Please be Palmer!' he thought excitedly. Maybe they were going to reopen the space program. He slammed the door open. "It had better be good news!" he bellowed.  
  
The short fat man before him cowered. "H-hello... Captain Highwind..."  
  
Cid grinned psychotically. "Palmer!" He pulled the man inside without giving him any nay-say about it. "Would you like anything? Tea perhaps?" Then a thought occurred to him. "Nevermind, we're out... Anything else?"  
  
Palmer sweatdropped. "Well... Do you have any of that 'good stuff' left?"  
  
Cid paused for a moment. "It's before noon! I don't know how you do it!" Cid cheerfully ushered Palmer to a seat at the table, fishing a couple of shot glasses from a cupboard on the way. He set them on the table before moving over to the sink and inserting most of his upper body in the cupboard underneath.  
  
Palmer watched covertly from his place at the table. Cid seemed to be a very fit man, in spite of what Palmer heard from Shera. Speaking of whom... "Where's Shera?"  
  
Cid hit his head on the inner edge of the cupboard as he jumped. He pulled himself out, cursing vehemently. He glared at Palmer for a moment. "She's gone shopping." He snorted, placing a glass bottle full of golden liquor on the table. "Women."  
  
Palmer nodded, semi-confused. But he knew Cid's opinion of the woman, so his sarcasm wasn't surprising.  
  
"So," Cid began, pouring some scotch in each glass, "chew the fat. What's the dig? Good? Or bad?"  
  
"Well," Palmer downed the shot. Cid had some good stuff. "Where do you get this?" he asked as an aside, before answering. "A little of both, actually. Which do you want first? Good or bad?"  
  
Cid downed his. "I'm feeling confident, so... bad news first. Don't want to ruin any good feelings right after I get them..."  
  
"It'll still take a long time to get as far as we did with No. 26, but the good news is that Urban Development's share of the recent rate hike has gone into the Space Program." Palmer smiled. "That puts us so much closer to our goal!"  
  
Cid leaned back, obviously thinking about it. "So, while the news is good, it just ain't as good as I was hoping... but it was still good, so... Another shot, in celebration!"  
  
~*~  
  
Nibel Mountains  
  
The former head of the infamous Turks, Vincent Valentine, glowered down the path at Nibelheim's best current tour guide. The girl's name was Selphie Tilmitt. The only thing about her that bothered him more than her hair was her attitude. Hyperactive and utterly careless... or maybe carefree was the word.  
  
At least she could handle problems that got to them before he saw them arise. In spite of her attitude, she was a good fighter. Of course, she wouldn't be part of Strife Inc. if she wasn't. All of the people Cloud hired (otherwise known as "owned") were good fighters.  
  
Including this one. Even though she annoyed him, he had to admit that. He hoped that Cloud got back soon, if only so that he wouldn't have to deal with her cheerfulness for too long. Apparently, Cloud thought that her attitude would be good for him. He couldn't have been more wrong.  
  
Currently, a man from Shinra, who Vincent was certain could be no older than Selphie herself, was hitting on her. A cowboy wannabe if he had ever seen one... And Vincent had thought that that look went out when -he- was a teen.  
  
He shook his head at them. Why exactly Shinra had asked for them to do guiding for them, even though they already owed money to Strife Inc, was beyond him.  
  
The cowboy wannabe was named Irvine Kinneas. He had long hair and carried a shotgun. (Not that that was much different than Vincent, occasionally...)  
  
The man was as annoying as his guide, though, really. And he would be stuck listening to this until this trip was over... plus the fact that half of the annoyance wasn't leaving afterward. He was very annoyed. He stared north briefly. He really hoped Cloud would be back soon...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, She needed to cover something up, at Jenova's insistence... (check the end of the chapter again... that has about half of the explanation in it... The rest of the info shall wait though...) Oh, and Cloud didn't really think about it when he gave her his pants... Amusing scene, though, ne?  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Yeah, I know... Yah said it when I read it to ya...  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Reeve: Whenever he's mentioned, he's always the good little workaholic. Not that I have much room to complain. Never is he a fighter of any sort... but if you notice, there's monsters in Shinra tower... right next to his model of Neo-Midgar! Unless he travels everywhere with bodyguards, he would have to have some fighting ability. . He's usually written with feminine mannerisms, too, as far as I've noticed... but he'd have to be somewhat masculine to willingly grow a beard/goatee thingy... He keeps it so well trimmed... (lol) I really like Reeve, though... And I'm annoyed when I come across Reeve-bashing... (I feel sorry for the guy, too...)  
  
Okay, I'm done now...  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	14. Cloud's Eyes

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 13  
  
Chapter Title: Cloud's Eyes  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Cait Sith joins the gang, and we find out why Cloud has Mako-eyes. Then we check on the Turks.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Cait Sith. Strangeness. Not much really... But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Costa del Sol  
  
"Cloud!!" Tifa exclaimed, clutching the blonde man tightly. "Where were you?"  
  
The man in question squeaked but said nothing. Probably because he was being suffocated.  
  
Barret tapped her shoulder. "What?" she asked irritably.  
  
"He can't answer with you around his neck like that..."  
  
"Thank you..." Cloud gasped, as he was released.  
  
Yuffie popped up in front of him. "Hey! I remember you!"  
  
"Huh?" he asked, startled. He didn't think he had ever seen this chick.  
  
"You're the guy who crashed down the stairs in your underwear!"  
  
Sephiroth, standing to the side, blinked. Cloud... in his underwear? 'Nice thought, though...'  
  
/Go figure./  
  
'You've been quiet lately.'  
  
/.../  
  
"First of all, I was wearing more than just my underwear..."  
  
"Are those trooper pants?" Tifa cut in.  
  
"Let me finish!" Cloud whined.  
  
Silence. Sephiroth glanced over, to make sure they were all still there.  
  
"Thank you. As I was saying, I was wearing more than just my underwear. I was still wearing: my shirt, my shoes, my armor, my socks... you name it. If it wasn't the pants, then I was still wearing it."  
  
A ghost of a smile graced Sephiroth's face as an image of Cloud, dressed as noted, crashing down the stairs he had found Yuffie by came to mind.  
  
/You are strange./  
  
'You have to admit, that is amusing...'  
  
/Wonder why he was like that, anyway.../  
  
"Why exactly were you missing your pants... and only your pants?" asked Sephiroth, in a mildly amused tone.  
  
"Eh?" Cloud stared at him for a moment. "Oh... Someone said they needed a pair of pants... So I gave them to her."  
  
"She?" asked Tifa, incredulously. "Some chick asked you for your pants... and you just... gave them to her. You didn't even ask 'How much?' I should be ashamed of you!"  
  
Cloud blinked. "You know... you're right. I didn't ask for... Aww, damnit!! What about my reputation!!!"  
  
Tifa shrugged. "It's your fault. Although, if she just asked like that, she probably doesn't know who you are. Be comforted by that."  
  
"But all of you know about it!"  
  
"So what. We were going to attempt to extort you for money anyway." She grinned at him.  
  
"Eh?" the blonde's eyes narrowed. "How much? At what rate?"  
  
Tifa frowned. "Ask Seph. He's the leader here."  
  
Sephiroth shrugged. "Are you going to be traveling with us?"  
  
Cloud nodded.  
  
"Then tally how much we borrow. 10% a year interest."  
  
"Eh," Cloud mumbled. "You aren't Shinra, now... You don't have any money at all, right now, do you?"  
  
Sephiroth shrugged. "I have a little. Not much. I don't think it'll last long."  
  
Cloud nodded again. "So... as we go... 10% per year owed. And individual loans. That way I don't have to worry about who's going to pay what back."  
  
"Now that that's settled," Sephiroth replied, "we'll take a break... kind of... until we find some information on Aerith."  
  
"Now what was that?" asked a high, too cheerful voice.  
  
Sephiroth turned, surprised. And there before him was... a... cat... riding a... mog? "What the..."  
  
"Hi!! I'm Cait!" said the cat.  
  
He received a round of blinks.  
  
"Uhm... that's alright. I've been getting that reaction a lot lately." The cat nodded to itself and continued, "This," it pointed down, "is Sith. He's really quiet... as in doesn't talk, not as in doesn't make noise... He's really noisy sometimes... He just doesn't talk." It nodded to itself again. "I overheard... You're looking for somebody?"  
  
Sephiroth nodded. "A girl in pink, actually."  
  
The cat's head tilted to the side. "Hm... don't think I can help you there... but... There's a guy on the beach who got here yesterday. Looks like the observant type, yanno?" Then the cat grinned. "Can I read your fortune?"  
  
"Uhm..."  
  
/Let him! It could be fun.../  
  
"I suppose... it doesn't matter..."  
  
It hopped up and down on the mog's head. "Alright then. Go... Sith!!"  
  
The mog looked disgusted for a moment before complying with the... request. It rocked back and forth in an amusing fashion.  
  
When it stopped, the cat reached behind his back to retrieve a piece of paper. ":Your lucky color is Blue.: Eh, that was sad... Want me to try again?"  
  
/Go for it... besides, it seems to be free.../  
  
"Sure," Sephiroth said.  
  
They repeated the strange motions. This time, the cat read, ":If all else fails... dinner and a movie.:" The cat shrugged. "Go again?"  
  
Sephiroth nodded, slightly bemused.  
  
This time it was ":Follow the sun to the Ancient temple, the moon shall be lost the earth's call.:" The cat blinked. "Another bizarre one. What is it with these days?"  
  
The mog bobbed its head.  
  
"What?"  
  
It pointed at Sephiroth.  
  
"The moon?" The cat stared at him for a moment. "You think so?"  
  
The mog nodded.  
  
"Alright, then. Of course, I would still want to do a follow-up on that one... The moon already came to the sun, it seems... But who is the sun?" It shrugged. "Did that make sense?"  
  
Sephiroth leaned towards the cat. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Wha? Oh, that... my own fortune, really... I'm supposed to stay with the sun 'til the moon comes."  
  
"Oooookay, then..." Sephiroth stood. "Go forth my minions..."  
  
Everyone laughed, including Zack at the back of his mind.  
  
He shrugged. "You know what to do."  
  
They all split up. Except Cait and Sith. They just sat there, looking at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was curious," the cat commented. "If you were who I was thinking... I'm a robot, you know. I have my own personality and all, but I have perfect memory... And I saw a picture, once... And I think it was you... Sephiroth?"  
  
He nodded distractedly. "Why?"  
  
Cait smiled. "Well... you seem like a man with a purpose. And I... well, I've always admired you, so... I can't think of anyone else I'd rather follow... except maybe my maker. He was a nice guy..." The cat leaned forward earnestly, "I wanted to know... if you mind me coming along?"  
  
Sephiroth blinked. "I suppose you would make good comic relief..."  
  
The cat sat down. "I can fight, if necessary... My machinery isn't that complicated, so... it's easy enough to fix... in case I get broken... And I won't run out of power or anything... 'cause I'm powered by a materia."  
  
Sephiroth tilted his head to the side. "To believe in your ability to fight... I would have to see it first. But I saw that everyone was less tense once you started talking, and that's a good thing."  
  
"Tension bad, huh?" the cat grinned.  
  
Sephiroth once again allowed the ghost of a smile to reach his face.  
  
~*~  
  
Two Days Out of Costa del Sol  
  
"Cloud!! Are you alright?" Tifa ran up to the blonde fighter who stood with his hand to his face.  
  
He smiled. "I'm alright, Tifa. Those things are... wimpy. It just manage to scratch me, that's all."  
  
Sephiroth sighed, annoyed. Why is it that most male fighters hate admitting if they're hurt?  
  
/You do it too. So, you have no right to complain./ Zack's voice filtered through his thoughts.  
  
'Back again?'  
  
/Sorry... been feeling weird lately. Dunno why./  
  
'Weird? How?'  
  
/Like something isn't right with me... aside from being dead, you know.../  
  
Sephiroth's eyes widened a bit when Cloud pulled his hand from his face. Yes, it was a small wound... but...  
  
Tifa shrieked.  
  
"What!? What!?" Cloud exclaimed.  
  
"Purple..." Sephiroth muttered.  
  
/By Titan... That is freaky-weird./  
  
"No kidding," Sephiroth answered aloud.  
  
"What's purple?"  
  
"The blood," he answered honestly.  
  
"It's purple?" Cloud looked at the hand he had held to his face. "Well, ain't that a thing?"  
  
Everyone sweatdropped. "Uhm... Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, deciding to end his own mental agony over the subject.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Have you been exposed to large amounts of Mako?"  
  
Cloud blinked at him with those wide Mako-blue eyes. "Well... How'd you know?"  
  
Sephiroth nearly facevaulted. "Your eyes, one. Your blood, two."  
  
"Do you have purple blood?"  
  
Sephiroth shook his head. "I haven't been exposed to enough Mako to have purple blood. But I've seen animals that had been exposed to that much." He stared momentarily into Cloud's eyes. "How did you get exposed to that much?"  
  
Cloud scratched the back of his head with his left hand. "Well... Story- time, I guess..."  
  
~*~  
  
Seven Years Ago, Mount Nibel  
  
It would be his last time to visit up here. He would be leaving to join SOLDIER in a few days. At least, he hoped he would be joining SOLDIER.  
  
He knew exactly where he wanted to go. He didn't notice until he was almost there, that Tifa had followed him. He turned back to her. "Tifa, go back."  
  
She glared, "Why? Is it okay for you to follow me up here, but not for me to follow you?"  
  
He hunched his shoulders. "If you get hurt again... It'll be blamed on me. And I don't want you to get hurt. Last time you came up here, you got hurt. Go back."  
  
"Why are you going up here?" she asked, continuing to follow.  
  
"I wanted to visit the fountain," he admitted.  
  
"Take me?" she asked. "I heard about it, but haven't gotten to see it." She caught up to him. "Almost there?"  
  
"Fine," Cloud sighed. "You can't say I didn't warn you..."  
  
She huffed. And they continued. The cave was exactly as he remembered it. The fountain shimmered in the middle.  
  
"Oooo..." she leaned toward it. Too late, he noticed that she was loosing her balance.  
  
He shoved her to the side, noting with satisfaction that she landed to the side of the fountain. He was a bit surprised to find himself in the fountain instead. "Tifa," he sighed, "you are so clumsy."  
  
"Hey!" she glared at him. And then looked worried. "Isn't that supposed to be really bad for you?"  
  
"Hm...?" he asked. Bad? What did she mean, bad? He felt fine. He felt really fine. He stood up. "I'm okay. We should go back now."  
  
"Right..."  
  
Why... was the world spinning like that? The colors seemed to meld and intensify. The last thing he could see clearly were Tifa's eyes widening. Her mouth opened, but he didn't hear what she said. The world was awash with some sort of white noise... but the sweet sound...  
  
~*~  
  
Six Years Ago, Mount Nibel  
  
He'd only just finished recovering from his bout of Mako-induced illness, and decided that a good long hike was just what his body needed. He didn't go anywhere near the Mako fountain that he had fallen into. Instead he went to check out the area just by the reactor.  
  
He was usually so good at avoiding the monsters... But a dragon found him. Of course, he managed the fight easily (kind of... he was actually pretty badly injured when they found him), but he fell into one of those damned Mako pools. The glowing green light was soothing, really. And he hadn't been feeling that well to begin with.  
  
~*~  
  
Four Years Ago, Wutai Area  
  
This time it was pure happenstance. Just because he had Nibie... She would take him anywhere. In some cases, even if she had to drag him. She dragged him all the way to Wutai village, why? He'd knocked himself out. Where? Right over a Mako pool. How? Knocked himself in the head with the hilt of his own sword, while attempting to do a complex move on a monster there. Why? He just wasn't careful enough.  
  
~*~  
  
Two Years Ago, Mount Nibel  
  
Recognize the scene? Same as where the dragon knocked him in. This time it was an earthquake. Yes, it knocked him in. This time, he tried to swim to the edge before passing out. Didn't make it.  
  
He found out later that Nibie had fished him out. With a stick. Then went and got his mother.  
  
And that was the last time Cloud had fallen into Mako.  
  
~*~  
  
Back to Present  
  
Sephiroth's mouth twitched. This man... boy, really. Especially after the story. And Cloud didn't seem the least bit embarrassed over his accidents with Mako.  
  
/What I want to know is how he survived that./  
  
'Heh. Strong will and a caring mother, is my bet.'  
  
/He was alright when we were there, if a little hyperactive./  
  
'You have no right to call someone hyper.'  
  
/.../  
  
"I was right," Sephiroth commented.  
  
/When are you not?/  
  
"You do have a lot more Mako in your system than me..." he shook his head.  
  
Cloud scratched the back of his head. "So... aside from a rather lot of Mako in my system... There's nothing wrong with me?"  
  
Sephiroth shook his head. He could tell that the others didn't believe it, though, and watched as they, one at a time, tried slipping him remedies. After a while, Cloud was high off of them, and Sephiroth had to tell them to stop it. And they headed on.  
  
~*~  
  
Speed Arena, Gold Saucer  
  
There was something strange about how childish the two members of the team that Tseng liked to say were more mature than him acted.  
  
Reno ignored them trying to wave him into a seat on the roller coaster with them. The only way he'd go, is if he could be in front. That way, he could be the gunner. But nooo... Rude wanted to. Or Elena wanted to. Well, that was the only thing on it that he enjoyed, so he wouldn't bother with the sitting in back cheering. He could cheer from the post he leaned against.  
  
He blew the hair out of his face and growled. They had told him that they just wanted one go each. They had been on it about ten times. He was not happy. He wanted something to eat.  
  
He sighed and glanced behind himself. Alright, so he wasn't really mad at them. He was actually pissed off at Heidegger and Hojo. Heidegger, because the man had finally figured out who had sent those letters in his name, and punishing him for it. Hojo, because that was his punishment: a day as Hojo's lab specimen.  
  
He shuddered. He still wasn't sure if what Hojo did would have long lasting effects... He just hoped that the tail wasn't permanent. He felt like a damned cat. Not to mention that it incinerated his cigarettes, earlier.  
  
He had to be careful where the tip touched, because it was hot. Very hot. Kind of like the tail of that boy that was traveling as part of AVALANCHE. "Does this make us related?" he asked himself.  
  
He jumped as something vibrated in his pocket. "Damnit!" he cursed, attempting to fish the thing out. When he finally did, he answered, "Hello?"  
  
=Reno!= said a cheerful voice on the other end.  
  
"Cloud!" Reno was relieved. "You wouldn't believe what happened to me!"  
  
=I got purple blood.=  
  
"What?" Reno blinked. "Purple?"  
  
=Yup. Purple.=  
  
"I grew a tail."  
  
Cloud laughed psychotically from the other end. =Not sure which is worse... Probably the tail... Nanaki seems to deal with it just fine, though...=  
  
Reno stared at the floor, bemused, "Are you alright?"  
  
=I'm high as a kite, Buddy-boy.=  
  
"Dear.... For the love of..... Aww damnit. You sound like that guy in Costa del Sol. The one in the bikini briefs."  
  
=Eww.=  
  
Reno chuckled. "I feel better now... But why are you high?"  
  
=They kept giving me Remedies. I told them I didn't need anymore and they just kept giving them to me... practically forcing me to drink them... Until Seph made them stop...=  
  
"You're with them?"  
  
=Hm? Oh, Sephy, and Tif', and Barrie, and Red, and Yuffers, and Jess... and the cat? Yeah, they're cool.=  
  
"That makes you the bad guy."  
  
=I thought that makes you the bad guy... Oh, well... How about a deal. I dun get in your way, you dun get in mine, and it's all good. How's that sound?=  
  
"Narcissistic, really," Reno replied, "but I'm fine with it."  
  
=Then it's settled.= Cloud paused. Then, =So... do you know what I should do about that thing I was mentioning?=  
  
"The one about the girl and the guy?"  
  
=Yeah.=  
  
Reno thought for a moment, "Maybe you should find out who the chick is before you try anything with her."  
  
=Alright. But what about him?=  
  
He tipped his head back, oblivious to the fact that Rude and Elena had just stepped up to him. "How much do you like him? Enough to try my earlier suggestion?"  
  
=Maybe...=  
  
"Well, if you're not sure, don't go for it. But when you are... Make sure he doesn't know what hit him." Reno flipped the tail to the side.  
  
=Cool. Thanks. I've been thinking on it... and I'm not sure...=  
  
"If you think you never will be sure, I'd just go for it."  
  
=Heh... but you're not me, so... let's leave it at a certainty. Right?=  
  
"Right, then," Reno nodded. And jumped. Because Elena and Rude were standing right in front of him. "Gotta go. Places to be, people to kill, you know."  
  
=Bye, then!=  
  
"Bye." He hung up. "And what can I do for you two lovely gentlemen?"  
  
Elena punched him. "Who were you talking to?"  
  
He grunted. Okay, now he was mad at her. Not at Rude, though. Yet. "My therapist."  
  
Rude blinked. "..."  
  
Elena frowned. "You have a therapist?"  
  
"Unofficially. All we do is swap weird stories." Reno rubbed his stomach.  
  
"Weird stories?"  
  
"Well, I was about to complain about the tail, and he told me he had purple blood. Sure made me feel better about the situation." Reno glanced at Rude, whose face was same as usual.  
  
Until the man frowned, "Purple blood?"  
  
Reno nodded. "I thought it was strange myself... But that just means that you have a much more than is healthy for you amount of Mako in your blood." He shrugged.  
  
Elena wrinkled her nose. "That's not good."  
  
He nodded again. "The man should be nothing more than a gibbering idiot with that much Mako in him... But he seems to be fine." He straightened up, "We should be leaving, now."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Alright, so this one is half-again as long as my other chapters... and you hardly had to wait... I hope you people are happy enough to leave a bunch of reviews!!  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Yo. Hope you like this one...  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Red XIII: Okay, this is spoiler material for those of you that haven't beaten the game yet. Where the hell did he get a girlfriend to produce cubs with? He's supposed to be the last of his kind. We travel the entire world, and never find another like him except his petrified father! How the hell did he produce cubs??? (They were really cute, though. I'm just wondering how he did it...)  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	15. Gold Saucer

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 14  
  
Chapter Title: Gold Saucer  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: They all go to Gold Saucer and spend the night...  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Not much for this chapter... But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ropeway Station  
  
Cloud chewed thoughtfully on his leather-bound right hand. Leather had an interesting flavor...  
  
He caught the vague ins-and-outs of Barret's story... But it was depressing. He didn't really like depressing stories. It seemed that all the depressing stories he had heard lately figured one thing as the cause for sorrow. Shinra.  
  
He chewed a little harder. He could feel a vague pressure on his hand, and knew that even if he chewed through the leather, that's all he would feel. He glanced at it. The leather around his thumb was all but ruined.  
  
"'No one uses coal nowadays, it's a sign of the times," he heard through his mental fog.  
  
He rubbed the back of his head, glancing at the tram. Maybe he could sneak off. Nibie whined next to him. He broke into Barret's story. "Uhm, guys?"  
  
"Eh?" Barret scowled.  
  
"Sorry, Barret, I've heard this story a hundred different times in as many ways," Cloud said quietly. "It always has one thing at the base. Shinra. But I figure... I heard this particular one once, too... from this guy... Well, anyway... I'm getting on the tram... with Nibie, there's barely enough room in there for me. 'Kay?"  
  
Barret grumbled. "Who'd you hear this one from?"  
  
"Funny tall guy. Kind of psychotic, but I understood his reasons... kind of..." Cloud stepped into the tram, and squeezed into a corner so Nibie could get on with him. "Later! Oh, and Barret? I don't think any of them met this guy, so you should finish that story, eh?"  
  
He heard Barret's grumbling as the tram started moving, and that was the last of it. He'd wait for them up there.  
  
Something wiggled in his shirt. "Eh..." he grinned, pulling it out. A small Flapbeat. "Whadaya think, Nibie? Ain't it cute?"  
  
~*~  
  
Station Square, Gold Saucer  
  
/C'mon... can I? Please?/  
  
'No... Not in a place like this.'  
  
/Aww, c'mon... I promise I won't hit on the chick with the breasts.../  
  
'No.'  
  
/Please?/  
  
'I already know that you have a gambling addiction.'  
  
/I do not!/  
  
'Yes, you do. And I don't have enough to waste.'  
  
/Aww... C'mon.../  
  
'No.' Everyone else had wandered off, it seemed. Except himself and Barret, who glared in the direction Cloud had taken. Chocobo Square. He vaguely remembered Cloud saying something about having a chocobo. "..." he glanced over at Barret. "?"  
  
The man shrugged. "I dunno."  
  
"..." Sephiroth felt a vague frown form on his face.  
  
"Oh, that. I was just wonder'n... He knew the story, right?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"It must mean that he either knew someone in town... or..." Barret broke off. "Couldn't be that, though. He's in prison."  
  
Sephiroth arched one elegant silver eyebrow.  
  
/You know... You're going to have to take care of that.../  
  
'Hm?'  
  
/It's getting obvious./  
  
"Seph... Is your thing towards Shinra just because of that scientist?"  
  
Sephiroth blinked. "Just because...? There's more... I think... But most everything ends at him."  
  
"Reactors?"  
  
"Well..." Sephiroth frowned. "I'm not sure about that... But I know that he uses them for less than ethical research."  
  
Barret was blank-faced. "Oh..." He nodded at Sephiroth and hopped down the entrance to Event Square.  
  
/Didn't seem the type to go to plays, to me.../  
  
"He probably wants to think."  
  
/Didn't seem the type for that, either./ Sephiroth rolled his eyes to that. /Sooo.../  
  
'No.'  
  
~*~  
  
Ghost Square Hotel, Gold Saucer  
  
Reeve winced at the shriek from the room below him. Cait was having a ball. Or something. He looked down in time to see his Mog-body being chewed on.  
  
The blonde's wolf friend seemed to think it would be a great chew toy.  
  
Cait shrieked again. "No! Nonono!!"  
  
Reeve frowned. Why wasn't anybody coming to the rescue?  
  
It took about ten minutes before Tifa opened the door to find Cait sobbing over the torn body of his 'mog companion'. Reeve sweatdropped, tugging on his white tee-shirt.  
  
Everyone crowded behind Tifa, who muttered softly, under her breath.  
  
At that, Cait's other room companion flinched in his sleep.  
  
Tifa hissed, "Cloud..."  
  
The blonde sat up suddenly. "Wha? Wha? Wha happen?"  
  
"Cloud," she growled. "I don't know how you managed to sleep through that... -no one else did- But it's now your responsibility to fix it!" She pointed at the torn apart mog.  
  
Cait stood, mopping at his face. "S'okay..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"It's just... my friend was hiding from some bad people... now he doesn't have anywhere to hide..." Cait sniffed.  
  
Reeve shook his head, thinking as loudly as possible, 'Don't say it!! Don't say it!!!'  
  
Tifa picked up the cat, "What do you mean?" she asked, right into Cait's face.  
  
Cait's tail twitched. "Uhm... my friend... My maker, really... When he built me, he also built Sith... But in reality, Sith didn't really have any intelligence, so I was Cait Sith... it wasn't Cait and Sith, you know? But he built the mog in a particular way... Just big enough for him to hide in..."  
  
Tifa's grip tightened.  
  
"Urp... He's been running from Shinra ever since Rufus took over the Presidency..."  
  
Sephiroth leaned towards the cat. "Who?"  
  
The cat wiggled in Tifa's grip for a moment. "Uhm... You know him... kind of. Jessie does, anyway..."  
  
"Reeve."  
  
He smacked his head in frustration. Did he really program the cat for honesty? Why, oh, why?  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
The cat shifted again. "Hell if I know what he's doing. I don't even know how he got in and out of that thing. Of course, it would be easier for him now, considering how much weight he's lost..."  
  
Sephiroth 'harrumphed'.  
  
"I honestly don't know!" the cat shook his head wildly.  
  
"Hazard a guess for me?"  
  
"Uhm... ventilation? He learned that a long time ago... I think..." Cait shrugged helplessly.  
  
Sephiroth stared upward. "Hm." And smiled.  
  
Reeve sweatdropped.  
  
"Come down, now."  
  
"..." Reeve sighed. "Do I have to?"  
  
A satisfied smile graced the General's face. He hadn't been certain, Reeve realized. "Yes, you do."  
  
Reeve pushed the grating aside. "You don't plan on killing me, do you? The whole reason I'm following you guys is because you seem to be one step ahead of the Turks... who are trying to kill me."  
  
Sephiroth sighed. "Not as of yet."  
  
Reeve nodded, knowing an honest answer when he heard one. He slipped down. A few weeks ago, he would have had a hard time fitting through that hole. Now, though...  
  
Jessie gasped. "Uncle Reeve! You look terrible."  
  
He smiled slightly. "Thank you. I'm sure I look like hel warmed over." And he did, too. His hair was in a bit of a disarray, and he needed to trim his beard. His clothes were rumpled, and he was painfully thin by comparison to his old self. He was a bit paler -not much-, and had dark circles around his eyes. "What do you expect?"  
  
Sephiroth was frowning at him.  
  
"Yes?" he asked politely.  
  
"Why would the Turks be after you?"  
  
"..." Reeve glanced down at his toes. "I seem to know a lot of things that Rufus doesn't wish to get out..." he sighed. "And after all that had been happening recently, I thought I should retire... without telling anyone. I'm afraid that that may have been the stickler."  
  
A ghost of a smile appeared on the General's face. "Yes, that was likely it. But I have another question for you..."  
  
Reeve shifted back and forth momentarily. "Yes?"  
  
"I remembered seeing you before, and I've finally placed it. What exactly did Urban Development have to do with the Wutai War?"  
  
Reeve sweatdropped. "Nothing. I wasn't in Urban Development at that time..."  
  
Sephiroth nodded. "Turk."  
  
"What?" Reeve asked, surprised.  
  
"What did the Turks have to do with the Wutai War?"  
  
Reeve blinked. "What?"  
  
Sephiroth frowned. "You had been in a Turks uniform. You were at a... conference, I think. After that, it started changing."  
  
Reeve rubbed his jaw, thinking about it. What could he say? He had his word to keep... Finally he shrugged. "I had some information. After I talked with him, Godo's heart wasn't in the fight any more." He shrugged. "If that's what you were asking."  
  
Sephiroth nodded. "What did you...?"  
  
Reeve interrupted. "I cannot tell you that."  
  
Yuffie grabbed his shoulder. "As a Wutaian, I ask you..."  
  
"Especially not you."  
  
"What?" she squawked.  
  
He shrugged. "I keep my word. Unless the conditions are broken from the other side, I will not let out information that I have sworn not to divulge."  
  
"But that's..." she bit her lip and glared.  
  
He lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug.  
  
"Uncle Reeve?" asked Jessie.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Those clothes look so strange on you..." Jessie gestured at his current dress.  
  
He looked down at himself. Rumpled white teeshirt, pale blue jeans -already a bit loose-, and sneakers. He lifted his shoulders slightly again. "It would look stranger for me to be wearing my blazer, don't you think?"  
  
There was a pause as everyone tried to imagine a blazer over the current ensemble. Nope. They shook their heads individually. None of them could see it.  
  
Cait chose that moment to break in. "Look, guys? Is it just me, or did Cloud get a new pet?"  
  
They all turned to stare at the blonde in question. "What?" he asked, petting a tiny dragon. A Flapbeat.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
jen0va99, The whole reason I had him do that was because in the game, he was clumsy enough to fall in twice... kinda... (first doesn't count... he got left behind...) The thing with Yuffie must have been her thinking of Cloud as a hermit crab... or around there...(I was trying to think Oriental...) I am also very proud of my speed... (I'm usually not so into writing a story... so it usually takes longer to update... but since I know where I am going...) And you are the first to compliment my rants... (I think) Thank you!!!  
  
Mako-Magic, Hai hai... Cloud klutzy is a very inspired thought... Actually, if you noticed, his injuries with his pets seem to come from the same vein...  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Seagull, huh? That's sad...  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On OOC Nice!Sephiroth: This is one thing that annoys the hell out of me... I'm reading a fanfic... it seems to be good... And then it happens... Sephiroth comes in. And is all sweet and clingy. That is so out of character that it ain't the same guy anymore! I hate it!! Same with SuperUke!Cloud. It's so OOC that it ain't the same guy even. I hate those fics... I mean... you want them screwing like bunnies? At least make the character recognizable. I think that Cloud would at least -try- to be on top. You know, fight for it... And Seph... Well, in those kind of fics... would let him... thing is, only Nice!Sephiroth would do that... Not the InCharacterForOnce!Sephiroth. *rolls eyes violently* I want to strangle SuperUke!Cloud and Nice!Sephiroth... They are too fake! Gah... Done ranting now... I feel so much better...  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	16. Corel Prison

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 15  
  
Chapter Title: Corel Prison  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Uhm... Corel Prison, loosely. Cloud betting on the races. *shrugs*  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Gambling... Red XIII thinking... too much... But it's still very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chocobo Square, Gold Saucer  
  
Cloud grinned as the woman behind him mimicked his bet. She had noticed that the entire time he'd been betting, he hadn't messed up once. The predictability of the chocobos and their jockeys was beginning to annoy him, though. The games at Wonder Square were just as simple and predictable. Speed Square was just as bad. Who could call this gambling?  
  
The ride at Round Square was apparently broken, and there was nothing going on in Event Square, yet. Boring.  
  
He was about to try his hand at fighting the selectively bred monsters in Battle Square, hoping that that would at least hold his attention while -Sir- thought of what they should be doing next. Although in Cloud's opinion, the best they could hope for would be to get some information by following Aerith south.  
  
Cloud whistled, going down the stairs to the tubes that lead to other areas. He was surprised that when he tried to enter the tube to Battle Square that the talking cat came out, stopping him.  
  
"What's up?" he asked the robotic feline.  
  
"Uhm... Cloud? There's been trouble, and everyone's gone and gotten thrown down to Corel Prison." Cait Sith fidgeted.  
  
"Eh?" Cloud leaned down. "Who did what?"  
  
"Someone with a gun on his arm shot up Battle Square... I don't think they considered me a person, so... You know. I didn't get thrown in... But Reeve was there... and..." The cat gave him a sad, soulful look.  
  
"He got tossed in with the rest?" Cloud frowned. "Eh, I hope they manage to get out. I'll just... get more info, I guess... And return to the races... I wonder if they'd let me race Nibie?"  
  
~*~  
  
Corel Prison  
  
It was filthy. Sephiroth wasn't even sure why he allowed himself to get thrown down here, but damn, now he wished he hadn't.  
  
Reeve coughed, eyes watering.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sephiroth asked, not sure if he really cared.  
  
Reeve nodded. "I've been worse. Although, chances of getting out were usually a lot better... by a twentieth percentile, usually..."  
  
"Really?" Tifa asked sourly. "And what do you think our chances of escape from here is?"  
  
Reeve tipped his head back. "1 in about... 751, I believe... No, wait... 7 in about 759, as the case may be, that at least one of us may escape. Previously, only one person ever has, of the now 759 people thusly condemned."  
  
"Uncle Reeve?"  
  
"Yes, Jessie?"  
  
"How exactly do you know that? And who and how did this one previous person escape?" She summed up everyone else's thoughts on the matter quite well.  
  
Reeve rubbed his face slightly. "I don't remember... I think it was the... No, I don't remember. It was a very isolated incident, and I never got the details, because I was, at the time, a nobody." He narrowed his eyes in the direction of the sun. "This can't be good for me... Better than getting heat stroke, I guess."  
  
Red XIII waved his fiery tail. "Do I want to know?"  
  
Reeve rubbed his jaw tiredly. "It's been a long time since I was actually out in the sun."  
  
Tifa giggled. They all turned to her. "What? I was just wondering how dark he was last time he had a tan... 'cause he's not all that light skinned as it is..."  
  
Reeve smiled slightly. "About half as dark as Barret, who we probably should be finding, now."  
  
They all nodded. Then the are was split by the sound of guns on the North side of the near fence.  
  
~*~  
  
Red XIII wasn't surprised at the revelation that it wasn't Barret who shot up Battle Square. The fresh smell of blood wasn't on the man at the time, although it was now.  
  
Barret's story was interesting. Although it was just another story in which Shinra was going too far. The thing he found most interesting was the -way- Barret told it. There was such emotion in his voice, his face.  
  
The other's reactions were all interesting as well. Jessie was all but crying, as was Tifa. Sephiroth... Well, obviously the man wasn't happy, but he hid his emotions so well on the outside... although his scent gave him away. He wasn't dealing with it much better than Yuffie, who was getting progressively more angry. Then, there was Reeve, who listened with a quiet sort of sorrow, as if he believed that he should have done something to stop it.  
  
Now Reeve... Reeve was a bit of an enigma... and Red wasn't too happy with himself for not recognizing the smell of human and machine with the mog. Reeve had also been a Shinra executive, and Red wasn't certain, but he had to have been more than that. A Turk, Sephiroth said. At one time, was the reply. But Reeve still seemed to know things that most wouldn't.  
  
Red himself had heard all about Corel Prison. A natural prison, surrounded by quicksand that not even chocobos could cross. No one ever made it out.  
  
He was confident, however, that if they couldn't do it quickly, that Reeve would be able to do something. He had noticed the man playing with his PHS, as if trying to figure out if he should use it or not. Red believed that Reeve would wait until there was no other chance before pulling whatever strings the man still had to pull.  
  
Sephiroth's sigh brought him from his reverie. "I believe this friend of yours is our key out."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Red shook his head silently as Sephiroth answered. "It's obvious that he's down here, as well as that he's managed to leave. So, we find him."  
  
Red jumped slightly as Reeve spoke up. "I somehow think that this man, Dyne would appreciate the visit."  
  
Sephiroth stared at him. "Do you have a better idea?"  
  
"Uhm..." Reeve leaned back, suddenly sheepish. "No, but I do have a backup plan... if necessary..."  
  
"What would that be?"  
  
"Uhm..." Reeve lifted his PHS. "I have... information on people in high places, as it were. But I really don't like using that to my own benefit... if there's another solution."  
  
Sephiroth blinked. "Alright, then. Reeve's got the backup plan." He frowned. "Go forth... and all that crap."  
  
Red snorted agreeably and they all wandered off. Sephiroth and Tifa with Barret, and the rest to stay and wait.  
  
~*~  
  
Chocobo Square, Gold Saucer  
  
Cloud blinked at the insane vision before him. Then began to snicker loudly. The snicker developed into a wild whooping laugh, and Cloud fell on his ass.  
  
Next to him, Cait Sith chuckled. How can a cat chuckle? It's best not to wonder.  
  
"Is that...?" asked Cait Sith.  
  
"Yeah... He looks funny on a chocobo."  
  
"So, what's your opinion of this next race?"  
  
"2 and 5," was Cloud's reply.  
  
"Not him?"  
  
"Hell no! He doesn't look like a decent jockey. His posture's all off..." Cloud grinned.  
  
Cait Sith went to the counter. "Two for 2 and 5." He grinned at the woman. She looked... nice, in that black and pink dress. The grin slowly turned into a leer as the woman leaned down, handing him the tickets.  
  
"Here you go... sir..." she said.  
  
He nodded and hopped back over to Cloud. "Here's yours..."  
  
They watched as Cloud's prediction came true.  
  
And Sephiroth showed up again. This time Cloud stared for a moment and then, "3 and 6."  
  
And so it was.  
  
And the third time, "1 and 4."  
  
"He's gonna win this time?" Cait Sith asked.  
  
Cloud nodded. "I think he's gotten it."  
  
It wasn't a bold prediction, either. He was, again, correct. "So?" asked the cat.  
  
"This chocobo reacted better to him... although, if I'd known, I coulda let him borrow one of mine."  
  
"What?"  
  
"There's a ranch near Midgar that raises chocobos. Currently, it's got a few of mine." Cloud stretched. "This is getting boring."  
  
~*~  
  
And so it was, they found themselves headed south, for a place called Gongaga, hot on Aerith's trail.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A little shorter, sorry... I just wanted to get past the prison... Don't miss next episode, Gongaga! We get a little Zack, a little Seph, a bit o' Cloud, and of course, Reno.  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
RavensHaelo, Of course. ^.^  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, (Sometimes I can't remember what I wrote...)  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Scarlet: I don't know why, but I hate her (kinda). She just gets on my nerves! I wanna repeat the Tifa/Scarlet bitchslap contest repeatedly! I love that scene, 'cause ya get to slap Scarlet. It's even more fun than Elena's attempt to punch Cloud, if you get out of the way. Great humor scenes. But Scarlet could be cool. If someone would just knock a little sense into her... and slapping isn't going to work, unfortunately. Gah!! Reno, go punch her for me!!!  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	17. Gongaga

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 16  
  
Chapter Title: Gongaga  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary:  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Zack's thinking is between /these/, Jenova, when I get that far is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And (Unknown) is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Behind Mayor's House, Rocket Town  
  
Cid Highwind stared at the choice that he had to make... The bag, or the can.  
  
He was hungry, damnit, and Shera still hadn't gotten back from the tea/food run. He'd torn up the house looking for anything edible, and the little he found was quickly eaten. So, considering that he was still feeling starved, he went out to the Tiny Bronco to search for the emergency rations he kept stored there.  
  
He sighed. Okay, let's make this easy. It's only two things. The bag, or the can. Really, how hard can the choice be?  
  
The bag... or the can...  
  
Eventually, he decided on the can. The stuff in the bag always made him thirsty, and there was no tea. So, it had to be the can.  
  
He pulled out an old Shinra Edition Army Knife. It had just about everything you could need on it. For one, a can opener.  
  
He sat back before starting to work on the can. Opening it up slowly but surely. He shut the can-opening part of the knife, flipping out another useful section. The fork.  
  
He then began eating the contents of the can. Not that bad, really. Actually, it was almost good. But then again, he was really hungry.  
  
He glanced across the way, noticing a technician eyeing him strangely. "What?"  
  
"Uhm, Captain, sir?"  
  
"Get on with it." He nodded for the man to voice his thoughts.  
  
"I thought Shera was on a food-run?"  
  
Cid nodded again, this time in agreement. "So?"  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Eh?" He glanced down at the can. "This? Emergency rations. I was hungry. I'll just replace it later."  
  
The technician frowned. "That doesn't look like Shinra rations..."  
  
"It's not."  
  
The tech muttered to himself. "Dare I ask?" And then, louder, "So, what is it?"  
  
Cid stared at the can again. "Eh... F-R-I-S-K-I-E-S. Don' taste that bad..."  
  
The technician fell from his position... luckily he'd been fastened on to the railing. "CAPTAIN!!! That's... That's... That's cat food!!"  
  
He rubbed the back of his head, unsure why the man was so upset. "So it is. I don't see the problem. And honestly, I've never seen pet food kill a dragon. Those Shinra rations can." He nodded vehemently. "I've seen it."  
  
The tech groaned. "Captain... that is so... unseemly..."  
  
~*~  
  
Just Outside of Gongaga  
  
Cloud pulled up short of the edge of the woods.  
  
Tifa paused behind him. Everyone else paused also, knowing that Cloud wasn't one who stopped for no reason. "Cloud, what's wrong?"  
  
He rubbed the back of his head with his left hand. "I don't know... Ever since I went to Condor, I've felt like..." He dropped his hand. "Well... Ya ever feel like everything's spiraling out of control, and yer the only one that sees just how much? And I think... when the time comes, I'm afraid... I won't be of much help, really. But I'll try..." he bit his lip. "Nevermind. It's not important yet anyway... I just feel... No..." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."  
  
Sephiroth blinked. That was a little too angsty for the Cloud he had been seeing ever since Costa del Sol.  
  
/I've been feeling strange lately too... but I don't think it's the same./  
  
'Spiraling out of control? When was this ever in control?' Sephiroth frowned. He winced when another voice cut through his consciousness.  
  
-It's always been in control.-  
  
/Who the fuck?/  
  
Seph's hand went to his head, as pain started etching it's way into his senses. "Uhn..."  
  
"Seph!" sharp voices calling his name dimmed slowly into a swirl of... not quite nothing.  
  
'Zack?! Zack, please still be there... Zack!?'  
  
/Still here... are you alright?/  
  
-No, he's not alright,- the new voice, -a woman?-, sounded smug. -He is mine. He will not be 'alright' because of that.-  
  
Another feminine voice cut in, ~Zacky-poo, it's been so long!~  
  
/No, fucking way./  
  
Sephiroth tried to shake his head. 'Zack? I really don't like this... What's going on?' he knew that he sounded petulant, but... he had to know.  
  
-You won't have to worry about Zack anymore, child...- That voice cut through him like a knife.  
  
'Zack!?'  
  
~Still mine,~ the second feminine voice was soothing, but her words were not.  
  
'Zack!!?'  
  
/Seph...? I'll try and.../  
  
'Zack!!?!'  
  
-Gone, child...- Pain.  
  
Searing, aching. Sharp and dull. Stabbing, pounding, grinding, burning. That voice was at the core of it.  
  
~*~  
  
A warm glow, a cool hand placed upon his forehead.  
  
Sharp voices. "Is he alright?"  
  
A cool soothing voice -'The owner of the hand,' Sephiroth thought.-, "Back off."  
  
"Where?" Seph asked.  
  
"Just outsida Gongaga, jes' like before," the soothing voice replied.  
  
"Who?" he asked now.  
  
"'M Cloud, 'member? Didja hit yer head?" Nice, cool, relaxing... "Don't you go back ta sleep on me!"  
  
Sephiroth opened his eyes. 'Light!!' "Ouch..."  
  
Warm, glowing Mako-blue eyes met his. Cloud smiled, "I woulda thought so. Poor dude. Methinks he hit his head." Cloud chuckled.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"We paused, I talked for a minute... You said 'Uhn' and passed out." Cloud shrugged.  
  
Sephiroth blinked. "Oh..." 'Zack? Are you there?'  
  
Echoing silence in his mind, broken by the sound of feminine laughter.  
  
He frowned. "I didn't say anything?" he asked.  
  
A flicker in those warm expressive eyes, "No... you looked real upset though. The control just... it's slipping. More and more into the hands of the opposition. And I know... well, I hope I can help you guys while I'm still here."  
  
Sephiroth frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Cloud smiled, a sad imitation of his usual grin. "I got a feeling. Things aren't gonna go well." The grin replaced it's pitiful imitator. "Of, course, there's some things going that I wouldn't miss fer the world!" He laughed and stood. "Even if it don' go right, it'll be worth it!"  
  
Sephiroth blinked at the morbid cheer of the young man in front of him. "You think you're going to die, then?"  
  
Cloud's eyes flickered again, as did his smile, "Most likely. Don't know about you though. I'd say, plan on taking leave of your senses in the near future, though." The grin widened. "I would hope that it would be in a nicer way."  
  
He sweatdropped. "What do you mean?"  
  
He grimaced. "I heard screaming. Not from you, or anyone else, but it was definitely screaming. Gave me a headache." He shook his head. "No worries, though, I can handle that kind of stuff."  
  
Sephiroth leaned towards him. "Are you sure it's alright?"  
  
Cloud nodded. "I'm just thinking that something was unhappy with whatever was going on that caused you to collapse. And I'm sure you know more about that than yer letting on... But... That's alright. If you want to talk about it... I'm a willing ear." A softer smile now graced Cloud's face. "I think everyone's worried, though... so... We probably should be heading on, eh?"  
  
Sephiroth let a ghost smile touch his face and nodded, before frowning thoughtfully. 'Where are you, Zack?'  
  
"You gonna be okay?" Cloud asked softly, eyeing the others.  
  
Seph nodded. He felt that he would be okay... for now.  
  
Cloud's evil grin returned. "Let's mosey," he called out cheerfully, helping Seph up.  
  
'Why am I not surprised?' Sephiroth wondered in the echoing silence of his own mind.  
  
~*~  
  
Just Outside of Gongaga Village  
  
"So, which one would you...?" Reno asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
Rude stood silent for a moment. "The one with the huge... you know."  
  
Reno nodded. "She does have big knockers, doesn't she?"  
  
Rude tipped his head to the side. "Since you started it... Which one?"  
  
Reno stared at him for a moment. "You're asking me... which -one-?" Reno frowned, "Well... I suppose... The chick you mentioned... The one with the legs... The leader, definitely... The blonde... You know, he's somewhat familiar, too... just can't seem to place him... Oh, the other chick, too. You know, the one who dresses like a guy?"  
  
Rude shook his head. "Slut."  
  
Reno jumped up and down. "I am not!!"  
  
"That was... what? Five different people. They aren't even all of the same gender!" Rude pushed his sunglasses up his nose. "Of the lot, which are you most likely too try anything with?"  
  
"The blonde."  
  
"..." Rude was silent. Then, "Why him?"  
  
"Because I think I know him." Reno grinned.  
  
Rude scratched the back of his head. "What do you think El would do?"  
  
"None of them, that's for sure. She's into -TSENG-... big time." Reno nodded.  
  
"... Really?"  
  
"For sure."  
  
"You do realize..."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
A new voice cut in, "She's right behind you," Elena growled.  
  
Reno jumped. "Eh... Sorry, El... I wasn't lying, you ogle Tseng every chance you get, you know."  
  
"I do not!" she exclaimed. "Just because YOU do, doesn't mean that I do!"  
  
Rude chuckled quietly.  
  
Reno rolled his eyes, "Yes, you do! Shall I tell Rude, here, about the time you were..."  
  
"Do not!!!"  
  
Rude knew better than to express curiosity.  
  
~*~  
  
Just Outside of Gongaga Village (Right Near the Turks...)  
  
Sephiroth shook his head. The Turks seemed a little... childish. He continued to listen however, hoping that there might be some dropping of information.  
  
"Anyways," Elena said, demanding the others' attention. "There's a problem with the car."  
  
The redhead, Reno, looked incredulous, "What did you do to my car?"  
  
She scratched her head. "There's a Nibel Wolf on it... And you know how far we are from Nibelheim!"  
  
"Nibel... Wolf... How big?"  
  
"Nearly as big as your fuckin' car, Reno," she hissed.  
  
Sephiroth was mildly amused. Apparently, Cloud's wolf-friend had found a nice place to nap. Behind him, Jessie moved, snapping a twig. 'Shit!'  
  
The Turks all swung to face in their direction, weapons raised.  
  
Reeve backed away, shaking his head at Seph. He was going to sit out the fight with the Turks. On the side. Preferably in the bushes.  
  
Sephiroth sighed as the enemy came up right in front of him. Elena was in front. "Prepare to die!" she hissed. Like a snake... only more attractive.  
  
Reno grabbed her shoulder. "Stop a moment. Hey, Strife? Is that you??"  
  
Cloud scratched his head. "Eh... Yeah? Waitaminite!! You... Reno!! You owe me 10 gil!!!" He marched over to where Reno stood, holding out his hand.  
  
All of AVALANCHE stared.  
  
Reno shook his head. "You owe me 10. Not the other way around!"  
  
Cloud sat back for a second. "Rock, Paper, Scissors?"  
  
Reno nodded.  
  
"Rock  
  
"Paper  
  
"Scissors!"  
  
Cloud and Reno squawked at the same time. Then, giving each other rather foul glares, reached into their pockets, extracted gil, and passed it to each other.  
  
There was a collective sweatdrop from the other members of the Turks and AVALANCHE.  
  
Elena huffed and, "This is not what's supposed to happen in a fight." She stalked off in the direction of the village. Rude shrugged and followed.  
  
Reno and Cloud blinked at each other and shrugged as well. "So? Lunch?" asked Reno.  
  
"As long as yer paying," Cloud nodded.  
  
"I'll pay if you promise to get your wolf off of my car. Soon."  
  
"Sure!"  
  
Cloud and Reno followed Elena and Rude into the village.  
  
Sephiroth stood for a moment, thinking on what just happened.  
  
Reeve's voice near his shoulder nearly made him jump. "So, now we know that Reno and Cloud will not fight each other."  
  
Sephiroth glanced down at the man. "You sure came back fairly quickly. And how does that do any good?"  
  
Reeve shrugged his shoulders slightly, "If Reno doesn't fight, the others might not fight. As it were, that's a good thing. The Turks have abilities that rival the best in SOLDIER."  
  
"And that's why your afraid of them, but not me?" Sephiroth asked sourly.  
  
"I'm not... well, afraid isn't the right word. I just don't want to fight with them." Reeve stared at the ground. "I was almost friends with one or three of them..."  
  
"So, you would hold back because they were your friends...?"  
  
"Maybe... or they might. Either way, the fight wouldn't be... the right way to handle it. Give me a few days... should I choose to, and I could probably have them off of my back..." Reeve smiled slightly. "But that would require me using my few precious resources."  
  
Sephiroth frowned. "Resources that you almost used at Gold Saucer."  
  
"It would have been rather nasty to die there," Reeve waved his hand. "I'll be back soon." He disappeared at the off-trail. Not the one that headed towards the village, but the one that headed... to the reactor.  
  
'What's he up to?' Seph wondered to himself, before going the way of everyone else, into Gongaga.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, *sings along with you* *laughs* *glares* Yes, I know you have my keys... I'm beginning to be mildly annoyed about that. .'  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Heidegger: I hate Heidegger. He's hugely obese, and he probably smells. He has an annoying laugh, and he's stupid. He's violent and doesn't seem to know how to think. I want him to die. I don't understand how such a man could have gotten his position unless it was bought for him, because as a high-ranking officer, aren't you supposed to think? Gah!! Die Heidegger!!! Die!! I will send Reno after you with a rusty spoon!!! How do you like that, eh, PUNK!!! Nevermind the spoon, I'll let him use a pitchfork ('Cause -Eww-)!!! Hahaha!!! Haha haa!!! Haa ha!!  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	18. On The Road Again

Special Notes: I'm sorry about it taking so long... I've been trying and trying to upload this b*tch for a while and the f*ckin' Document Manager is being EVIL!! Evil I tell you!! It's EVIL!!! I keep trying and trying.......  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 17  
  
Chapter Title: On the Road Again  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: They all head off to Cosmo Canyon. And... What's this? Zack has an unexpected appearance... not where it would be expected, though... Heheh. And Red goes hyper.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Errh... Insinuations involving Aerith's clothing... and probable hobbies. A hyper-active Red XIII.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
On the Road Again, Towards Cosmo  
  
Not much had happened in Gongaga. With the exception of some of the locals becoming frightened of Cloud when Cloud showed Reno that his blood was indeed purple. Reno in turn showed off the tail. They were both totally soused and showed no intention of stopping talking anytime soon without the aid of their compatriots.  
  
Therefore, Sephiroth and Elena made a deal. He would drag off Cloud; she would drag off Reno. End of story.  
  
But that wasn't really the end of things. When the Turks wandered off to due business elsewhere, and Reeve came out of hiding, Scarlet showed up at the reactor spouting off useless nonsense about junky reactors and junky materia. They picked up the so called "junky" materia and continued on. After a last visit to Zack's parents, of course.  
  
And so, they were on the road again, headed towards Cosmo Canyon, Red's home. Whether or not the cat boy would continue traveling with them was uncertain, but Sephiroth hoped he would. The boy was probably the most sane of the group.  
  
Cloud, once his hangover had worn off, was more quiet than usual, and Sephiroth hoped that it meant the same thing it usually meant... Because when Cloud was quiet, he seemed to usually be planning trouble.  
  
But if it wasn't for the usual reason... Sephiroth wasn't sure, but the way Cloud had spoke before reaching Gongaga... It couldn't be good. And that was just all there was to it. It seemed that things just kept getting worse than they had seemed at the start, and they still weren't catching up to Aerith.  
  
And with Zack's somehow calming lack of logic gone, Sephiroth was certain that he would go insane by the time they caught up with her.  
  
And perhaps... they just might do that soon.  
  
~*~  
  
Unknown  
  
It was cold. Zack couldn't remember ever having felt so cold. He couldn't even talk anymore. Occasionally he could hear Sephiroth's voice. Then it was drowned out by a sound that caused pain to every cell in his body... Body?  
  
'Since when do I have a body?' he asked himself. He tried to move. Nope, not working. Then he managed to do one thing... and he wished that he hadn't. He opened his eyes. 'No, fucking way.'  
  
~Zacky-poo's awake...~ Aerith.  
  
'No way.' If he could have moved enough, he would have shaken his head in denial. 'Please don't be her...'  
  
~Ne, Zack-kun... it's been so long...~ intense green eyes stared at him from beyond... a shell? Where the hell was he?  
  
He tried to glare at her.  
  
~SHE said you weren't allowed out... because you might try to run.~ Pink. She still wore that pink dress he had gotten her for her birthday. ~But I'm the one in control here, aren't I?~  
  
'How would I know?'  
  
~Well, you were in dear brother's head... I'm still not sure how Hojo did that... Or even if he did... It could, quite easily have been Sephiroth to have done it...~ She smiled. Her smile wasn't what bothered him, though. It was the fact that it looked the -same-... as if nothing had changed...  
  
Or maybe it was just his imagination. 'Go away...'  
  
~Not yet... If you promise to be good... I can let you free for a while... Until SHE comes back.~  
  
He frowned at her. And then realized that he did. So, he could move his face. 'Don't you have anything better to do? Like leave false trails for Seph?'  
  
~Now, why would I do that?~ She batted her eyelashes at him innocently.  
  
'Duh! Bad chick here!' He paused, 'Waitasecond... Aren't the bad girls supposed to show a lot of flesh? With leather? Like whips and stuff?'  
  
She sweatdropped. He watched with confusion as something floated past her.  
  
'What... was that?'  
  
~Nothing!~ she sounded almost desperate... or maybe just embarrassed. But he thought that it looked vaguely like a crop.  
  
'Was that a...?'  
  
~No.~ She hid the -whatever-it-was- behind her back.  
  
'Are you sure?'  
  
~Absolutely,~ she grinned, ~wanna see my new clothes? SHE thought I needed something more... more... commanding...~  
  
'What?' he frowned again. Commanding?  
  
~Eh... what she came up with looked kinda dominatrix to me...~ she frowned as well. ~I didn't really have anyone to ask the opinion of... and you're blunt enough, so...~ she twirled, ~What do you think?~ She was suddenly dressed much differently.  
  
'Holy Titan!!'  
  
~Is that a good, or a bad?~  
  
'It's a "What the fuck!?!?"... I'm... shocked. Ever since you took up with that man, you've gotten... Titan, how do I say this? More like THAT, perhaps?'  
  
~Like what?~  
  
'Like that thing in my head that won't let me listen to Seph!'  
  
~But...~ Her eyebrows pulled together, forming a somewhat innocent pout. ~You aren't supposed to worry about him any more. SHE'll take care of him. Don't you worry about it.~  
  
'I want to talk to him!'  
  
~But... You're mine! You're not supposed to want to be with him!!~  
  
'Eh...' Zack tried to pull back, and noticed distinctly that he moved two inches. Better than before... but... 'Titan, you're obsessive!'  
  
She pressed up against the "shell". ~I have every right to be! You weren't supposed to die!~ She shook her head, quickly. ~I just want you to be here!! SHE didn't want me to keep you!~  
  
She was starting to scare him... Talk about obsessive-ex-girlfriend. He wondered if he could get a restraining order. Probably not. Hojo would just tamper with it anyway.  
  
~You CAN'T be with him... You have to be here with me...~  
  
'Go away!' He really couldn't deal with this. Then again... it seemed that escape was unlikely... The best way to throw off the bad guy is to carelessly nap while you're in their custody. He smiled slightly, and forced his mind to shut down.  
  
~Hey! Don't you go to sleep! I'm not finished playing!~  
  
'Fuck you,' he thought, somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind. 'Fuck you.'  
  
~*~  
  
Cosmo Canyon  
  
Red bounced back and forth between Seph, who stood at the head of the group and Barret who took up the tail.  
  
He was excited, and he had every right to be. He was almost home. He bounced some more, rather oblivious to the stares of the others, as he was running around on all fours.  
  
It had gotten bad enough, when Jessie told him to stop it. He supposed that he should have been a little less... jumpy. But what could he say? He was excited.  
  
"My grandfather would be pleased to meet you all, really. I think..."  
  
Sephiroth interrupted him. "So. You won't be going on?"  
  
Red paused. "I... don't think I can. My job... It's a very honored thing, I'm supposed to do. I am the protector of the village." He ducked his head sadly. "It would be dishonorable to not keep to my duties while I am able."  
  
Sephiroth apparently understood. So did Cloud, and surprisingly, Yuffie.  
  
"I'm glad you understand. I'll help you as well as I can, though." He smiled, feeling his facial muscles make that odd twist that they hadn't been able to before. It was almost like baring his teeth... only nice.  
  
They reached the steps to the Candle, and Red raced ahead, to speak with the elders, to let them know that it was indeed him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Eh... I'd posted it before I realized that I didn't have a summery or warnings thingy... Ooopsies... Meh? Joey? Bizzaroo.....  
  
ChibiBoko, ... *snickers* Pitchfork... You know, I didn't think of that... But your review cracked me up...  
  
RavensHaelo, Yuppers. Actually, a funnier way to think of it... The villain replaces the hero who replaces the priestess who replaces the villain. Ring a ring a rosie... And I really enjoy writing the Reno/Cloud interaction, especially with this version of Cloud... I'm surprised no one objected to the cat food...  
  
silverpen, Well... Zack... Well, you saw, ne? As for Cloud's coming back, that may or may not be a given. (In other words... Sore wa himitsu desu!! *It's a secret!*)  
  
Angefantasy, Nice seeing you again! Actually, you seem to have picked up a lot of things other people haven't yet... and I think only one other person realized the thing about the sacrifice... I vaguely feel sorry for the lot of them for a few things I'm gonna end up doing to them... (Poor Sephy, poor Cloud, poor Zacky-poo...)  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Professor Gast: Every one assumes that Gast was a nice guy... He wasn't! He was the one who suggested the experiments with Jenova! And he had a fair hand in the creation of Sephiroth, too! He wasn't the nice old professor everyone assumes he is. Yes, he did cut ties with ShinRa, but my personal opinion is that he did it to make his "specimen" Ilfana, more comfortable. And possibly to produce another specimen, without making his current one uncomfortable. He wanted to do his own thing, without ShinRa's interruptions. God, I hate that man.  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	19. Nibelheim Already?

Another Special Note... Sorry, I think this just may be a boring chapter... but once you get to the end... You can cheer for the fun of what will happen next chapter!! (I grin at thee...)  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 18  
  
Chapter Title: Nibelheim Already?  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: They made it to Nibelheim, oh-so soon... Am I missing something? We get to see what Zack is up to, and there's a little bit o'Turk!  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Angsty!Cloud (kinda), Wet!Zack, Scared!Reno and Looming!Rufus.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nibelheim  
  
"Nice, isn't it?" Cloud asked Nanaki, who looked worn out.  
  
"It would have been nicer if we had stopped since visiting my father..." Nanaki grumbled.  
  
Cloud grinned, "You know, eventually that will wear off. I would suggest removing the arrows before that happens." He nodded to himself, stroking the tiny dragon head peeking out of his pack. He turned to see Sephiroth getting another kiss from Nibie.  
  
Nanaki grumbled some more.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I said, 'What about these cloaked figures that you said your friend was complaining about?'" he growled.  
  
Cloud scratched the back of his head. "I don't see any of them... He must have been exaggerating. He said they were everywhere. I got to go talk with him anyway... So..." He raised his voice, to capture Seph's attention, "I'm going to the mansion, be back in a few... Or better, you guys can follow me!"  
  
He was glad to be back. He was sure his mom would be glad to see him, too.  
  
He pushed the creaking door open, "I'm back!!"  
  
His mom popped out from around a corner, previously unnoticed. That never failed to creep him out. It was understandable when Vincent did it... but her? "Cloud, honey!" She rushed over to hug him.  
  
He gently kissed her cheek, before asking, "Where's Vincent? I need to talk to him..."  
  
"Sulking in the atrium, dear. And who's this?" She asked, nodding at the door behind him. How had someone managed to open it without making it squeak?  
  
He turned. "Oh, Seph! You remember him, Mom?"  
  
Sephiroth inclined his head to her, politely, "Hello, Ms. Strife."  
  
"Ah, General, sir! So nice to see you again!"  
  
He slipped away, listening to his mother chatter at Seph with half an ear, heading to the upstairs atrium.  
  
He opened the door -which squeaked... he was beginning to wonder how Vincent got around so quietly...- to find Vincent's back to him. "Hey, what's the deal?"  
  
Vincent turned silently. "You haven't seen them?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"Every other house has them. I'm still not sure why they haven't invaded the mansion, yet. Look toward the path to Mount Nibel, you'll find two." Vincent turned back around, apparently with nothing else to say.  
  
"Uhm, Vincent," Cloud asked quietly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
He sighed. "I wanted to ask you something... because you always seem so fatalistic... I thought you might understand the sentiment."  
  
"What is it, Cloud?" Vincent sounded mildly annoyed.  
  
Cloud scratched at the back of his head, "Well... I'm on a quest, kind of. I like them all, and really want to help them... but... I know that I'll help them get -there-... but..."  
  
Vincent turned to him. "You sound uncharacteristically depressed."  
  
Cloud leaned against the wall next to a creeper plant. "I've been dreaming, lately. Something formless, and evil, you know... there's always something like that... Only, I feel like it's some thing I actually know. I've gone through this place... a rather nice wood, and through a city made of shell... Into another city... this one's glass. Then..."  
  
"Is this something you really need to tell me?" Vincent lifted an eyebrow.  
  
Cloud nodded. "If you'd listen... You know how you can't ever win a bet against me? It's kinda like that. I KNOW it's going to happen. And there's nothing I can do about it... Because it's all beyond my control... but it's kind of a bid for control, right?"  
  
"I'm supposed to know this? What happens in this glass city of yours?"  
  
"I'm sitting there," Cloud continued, "lotus style, and there's a shadow. I look up, and there's... Never mind." He shook his head. "It's making me mad, though."  
  
Vincent arched an eyebrow. "A recurring dream?"  
  
Cloud shook his head. "Yeah..."  
  
"Why is it so upsetting?"  
  
He sighed. "You'd be upset to, if you were having them. I just feel like I won't be able to make a difference in the end."  
  
Vincent had turned back to the window, and was silent.  
  
~*~  
  
Unknown  
  
Zack fell, clenching his teeth to prevent himself from shrieking on the way down. He'd managed an escape, yes. But he was still unsure of where he was... Although there was one thing he was certain of. Wherever the hell he was, it was COLD. And his bare feet and upper-body didn't help matters any.  
  
His teeth chattered as he opened his eyes to see where he had landed.  
  
Eww. Another Mako pool. There were so many of those here, it was a veritable promised land of energy... Just waiting for the Shinra to get a hold of it, he figured.  
  
He tried wiping his hands on the pants he discovered himself wearing -They weren't his, he knew that... Maybe they were Cloud's?-; it didn't work. His pants were already dripping wet with Mako.  
  
Well, at least Mako was warm. Pleasantly warm. Shiva, it was cold around here.  
  
Must be somewhere up north, he reflected, trudging out of the glowing green liquid. He figured that the Mako couldn't really do much to him, considering he had been floating in some for a long time... and that stuff had been somewhat concentrated.  
  
He coughed. Shit... was he coming down with something? He hoped not.  
  
In an effort to conserve his body-heat, he wrapped his arms around himself. After a few huffing breaths, he realized that he could see his breath.  
  
Once he reached the edge of the pool, he sat down, breathing hard. If it were just the cold, it wouldn't be so bothersome... but now, he was wet as well, and weak as a kitten. There was no way he'd stand a chance against anything that decided to attack him.  
  
He stared down at his hands, which he was leaning on, and was surprised to see... that he seemed to be growing claws.  
  
"Aaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
Back in Midgar, Shinra Tower, Turks HQ  
  
Reno chewed on his lip. 'A special assignment, huh?'  
  
"I've been blackmailed, Reno." Rufus paced from one side of the office to the other, completely ignoring the other three Turks.  
  
"What's this got to do with giving me a special assignment?" Chewing transferred to thumb.  
  
"We can't do anything about AVALANCHE now... but! This way, it'll have the seeming that we're working together!" Rufus clapped his hands together. "And, since you know one of the members... You are to be our internal agent!"  
  
Reno chewed a bit harder. "Why can't we just fight them, as usual?"  
  
"I told you, the reason I sent you after Kyle Reeve in the first place is because he has information that Shinra doesn't want out. And from that message of his... Directly killing him... well, we can't do that anyway. He says we can't cause AVALANCHE problems." Rufus continued to pace, irritably pulling his hand through his hair. "Capture Kyle Reeve if you see him. That is another reason to travel with them. They seem to move almost as fast as our troops." Rufus suddenly loomed over Reno's desk.  
  
"Eep."  
  
"Which means that you'll have an easier time finding the man."  
  
Reno leaned back away from the looming president. "Heh. Where are they currently?"  
  
"Nibelheim. You will be there tonight."  
  
Reno twitched. And Rufus was still looming. "Uhm... it's already 8 o'clock."  
  
Rufus leaned further over the desk. "And you will be on the helicopter out presently."  
  
Reno grinned, trying not to twitch again. "Okay..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, I was going for "Freaky Obsessed Ex-Girlfriend". Does that work? She may get worse in the future. Heheh...  
  
Mako-Magic, Well, honestly, I think that was the best thing he ever did, and who knows about his reasoning, ne? He still started the nasties... Hojo just thought he could do better. Heheh. I'm not a Hojo fan either, but even I can see that Hojo is so unstable he makes others unstable...  
  
Vincents-Soul, Rushed at first, I suppose... I wanted to get past the things that would be almost exactly the same...  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Haha! Hahahaha!! Haha ha!!! Hahahaha!! My mind control worked!! Hahahaha!! Haha ha!! Hahahaha!! Hahahaa!!  
  
RavensHaelo, Heh... Well, I'll try... Doesn't seem to be much happening this time either. Glad you liked the cat food thing. And well... Cloud... You'll just have to wait fer that...  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Chocobos: No, it's not the trouble you have breeding them, or catching them. Or the fact that if you aren't paying attention to what you're doing, and accidentally hit one during a fight, it'll peck everyone's eyes out, and you still won't get a chocobo. No, it's the simple fact that if there's chocobos taking the place of horses... What takes the place of cows? Is that chocobos too? What about chickens? Are there, instead, small horse-like things in their place? Or are there actually chickens? And what happened to the COWS???  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	20. Turks And AVALANCHE

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 19  
  
Chapter Title:  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary:  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nibelheim  
  
Reeve chewed thoughtfully on a sandwich that Ms. Strife had provided. As far as he was concerned, that woman had a way with bread. He'd made a lot of sandwiches in his time, and not a one of them was as good as the one he was currently chewing on contemplatively. It couldn't be the fillings, he decided, because they were the same as what he usually used... same brand and everything. So, it must be the bread. Homemade? Or possibly of some as yet unheard of brand that you only found in the boonies? Or maybe the sandwich was so good because they had been on short rations since Cosmo.  
  
Nibelheim was a very nice town. Sure, there were a bunch of weirdos wearing black cloaks wandering around... And they all said the same thing... REUNION. It sounded like they were going to a 1) family reunion or 2) cult reunion. Whatever they were doing, they were fairly quiet, so they didn't really disturb the scenery.  
  
He stretched against the fencepost he was leaning on, hearing, but dismissing the sound of a helicopter. He wasn't worried about that. Rufus had promised to stop harassing them, so... why worry?  
  
There was so much about Cait Sith's philosophy that was very attractive... A lazy smile crossed his face, and he wondered about that. When was the last time that he had actually let himself be lazy?  
  
Oh, well, just stretch a little more and don't bother to worry about it.  
  
He blinked when a familiar redhead came into his vision. Panic set in, just as said redhead looked directly at him.  
  
Reno's eyes widened momentarily, and then... he wasn't looking -at- him, but -through- him. 'What in hel?'  
  
"Nice place," Reno chirped. He grinned as his gaze darted about. Each time it past over Reeve, it seemed to be looking behind him.  
  
"Great," he muttered, "does this mean I'm invisible now?"  
  
Reno gave no indication of having heard him. The man instead pulled out a PHS, quickly dialing a number on it. "Yo! Tseng! I'm here, and there's no sign of them... Wanna game of...  
  
"Aw, man... I was just...  
  
"No... But I didn't want to...  
  
"Eep! Ghost's!!" Reno's eyes bugged out.  
  
He was looking at Reeve. Finally. No, he wasn't looking at Reeve... He was looking at Reeve's sandwich. What the hell.  
  
"Eh? No, sorry, sir... it just startled me, is all. Just a floating sandwich, sir..." Reno laughed distractedly.  
  
Reeve glared. How nice of Reno. Playing a little game of I can't see you. Well, two could play at that. He then proceeded to ignore the Turk, to the best of his abilities.  
  
He was startled though, when Vincent, who he'd not really met yet, just seen, popped up right behind him. Needless to say, he fell from his post.  
  
"What," Vincent enunciated clearly, "is a Turk doing here?"  
  
"Eh?" Reno asked. "Oh! Me!! Hey!! Aren't you Vincent Valentine?!?"  
  
Reeve gave Vincent a closer look. No way. Couldn't be. Problem being... it was. Vincent Valentine was... well, had been, a very long time ago, his teacher, tutor, friend, father-figure. And all sorts of other things that he did NOT want to think about now.  
  
Valentine nodded once, "Yes, I am. Why do you wish to know?"  
  
Reno was suddenly holding out a piece of paper and a pen, "Can I have your autograph??? You're famous!"  
  
The legendary Turk, he was called. Reeve remembered that phrase attached to Valentine's name after he disappeared... in Nibelheim. Huh. Who would have thought?  
  
Vincent himself eyed the paper as if it were a poisonous snake. Then he eyed the Turk. "May I ask a question about one who had been in the ranks of the Turks at one time?"  
  
Reno nodded, sparkly-eyed. There were no words to describe just how creepy Reeve found that.  
  
"I'm wondering about the current whereabouts of one Kyle Reeve."  
  
Reeve, currently standing right next to Valentine, wanted to die. "That would be me," he said quietly.  
  
Vincent's gaze dropped to him, and Reno's... stayed on Vincent, looking mildly confused.  
  
"He," Reeve nodded at Reno, "is currently pretending I don't exist. I'm greatly curious as to the why, though."  
  
Valentine looked back at Reno, before glancing back at Reeve. "..."  
  
Reno scratched the back of his head, swooshing about a newly gained tail... at least, Reeve didn't think he'd had it before... "The Turks are currently searching every cranny and nook." Reno grinned disarmingly. "Can't really do anything unless I see the guy, though... or at least hear him."  
  
So that was it. He didn't want to turn Reeve in, so was pretending not to even see him. Damn good actor. Reeve was actually beginning to think that he really couldn't see him.  
  
"What are you doing here, Turk?" Valentine asked quietly.  
  
Reno shrugged. "Rufus says that we and AVALANCHE should be working together, so... I'm the sacrificial lamb, 'cause I know Cloud."  
  
"Rebo?"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
Vincent shook his head slightly. "Robu? No, that wasn't it... Reba? Rebu? Rina? Rinoa? Reboa?"  
  
Reeve snorted. Some things just don't change. "Reno. His name's Reno."  
  
"Reno! That was it." Vincent nodded to himself. "If you're Cloud's friend, then, c'mon in." He walked in the direction of the mansion.  
  
Reno stared at the place Reeve was, until Reeve swallowed the last of his sandwich... which was still very good, by the way.  
  
~*~  
  
Unknown  
  
Zack shivered and stared at his hand. They were gone again, thank Shiva... but who said she had to turn on the air conditioning, anyway? He was still freezing his ass off.  
  
So cold... And what happened to his materia, anyway? He stared at the Escort Guard on his left wrist. Why he was still wearing it... and his dog tags... was beyond him... But... there seemed to be the remains of materia in the slots. Just a bit of color amidst the mostly clear green that made it useless to try and put another materia into it.  
  
He identified the remnants as well as he could. The prerequisite Restore, currently at level 3. Almost more than he needed, really. Not connected with a blue... Time, level 2... Heal, mastered. He'd had that one for a long time. Mastered Double Cut. Contain, also mastered, paired with a master all that he'd had since the Wutai war.  
  
He also had an Enemy Away. Thank Titan for Chocobo Racing.  
  
He wasn't even sure if he could use them, though. They looked... melted. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the damned bangle off!! "Aaaaaarrrgggggghhhhhh!!!" He tugged, pulled, chewed, kicked... He tried everything he could come up with, aside from severing his wrist. And he wasn't going to try that one.  
  
One thing he had noticed, though, was that at first, trying to remove the bangle had -HURT-. It wasn't until he looked now, though, that he understood why.  
  
He was bleeding. "Shit." He moved the bangle slightly, testing to see if he could locate the source of the blood... and the source of the injury.  
  
He moved it some more, and then he realized that the injury was right behind the materia slots. Make that injuries. Shit.  
  
Then he noticed something else. Why he hadn't noticed this before was beyond him, but... his blood was... a rather bright shade of violet.  
  
"Why am I not surprised?" he asked the cavern. He wondered just how bad the glare of his eyes was, all considering. Seph's had been really bad, and so had that Cloud's. Cloud's blood was about that color, too... So, it would be the level of Cloud's, then.  
  
He hopped down from the rock he was perched upon. In spite of the fact that he still hadn't found anything edible, he felt much better than he had to begin with.  
  
Come to think on it... he was getting good at running. Must be from experience. All these damned monsters down here were NASTY. A lot stronger than anything he'd ever come across before. There was the occasional thing he stayed to fight... but he wasn't even gonna think about touching those Tonberries.  
  
High on hyper was a good thing, as it were. And glad he had a Ribbon, too. Great thing about being second in command of SOLDIER... you got the good stuff.  
  
He kept getting hit, and that wasn't a good thing, so his limit was all but ready to go... but Hell if he was going to sit in a fight with a big nasty long enough to use it.  
  
He grinned sourly at his legs. They were getting a lot of exercise, and the pants were looking much worse for the wear.  
  
A sharp staccato cracking from further up the cave set him running again. He did NOT wanna know what was big enough to make that big a noise.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, Worse? When she starts bugging Cloud. *nod nod* Zacky-poo has some big and nasty problems that I am not yet at liberty to discuss... But one thing... You know how weak Cloud was at the beginning of the game? How long would that survive in the North Crater? Poor Zack... Oh, I was wondering, since you were saying that you loved the big messes... have you seen/read Ranma 1/2? Now that's a mess. =¬.¬=  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, =¬.¬= You lucky. I was just about to update when I got the review... You probably won't be able to read this until tomorrow, though... Heheh.  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Tonberries: I hate them!!! I really really really hate Tonberries!!! They must die!! Because they are evil!! They must die... and they don't! They kill me instead!! Oh, why? Why? Why must they hate me so?  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	21. And Now Rocket Town!

Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 20  
  
Chapter Title: And Now... Rocket Town!  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: A little bit o' Zack, a bit a' Reno... And a lot of Cid towards the end of this one. =^.^= Cid-muse is happy this chappy... (Heheh... I rhymed...)  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Zack weirdness... Reno weirdness... A bit in the language department. =v.v= Don't blame me, blame the Cid-muse.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Unknown  
  
It was happening again. His hands were longer and thinner, though it was hard to tell, what with the gloves, and all... But they were fingerless gloves, so Zack could quite easily tell that his hand was changing...  
  
And the claws were back. He really couldn't see the purpose in having claws. They would get in the way of things, or so he imagined. Although... it sure made scratching his back easier.  
  
He stared closer at them, feeling safe enough for the moment. They were thicker than his nails... longer and sharper, too. Experimentally, he scratched at the rock he crouched against. Deep gouges were left behind from the path of his fingers.  
  
"Wow," he murmured, not really daring to be as loud as he had been before. That noise had called down a King Behemoth. He was just lucky that he was faster than it.  
  
He bit down lightly on one of the claws. Tough, he decided. He bit down harder. Really tough. "Maybe I can use this..."  
  
No. He'd never been a hand to hand fighter, and fighting tooth-and-nail, as it were, definitely required close quarters. Like he wanted to be that close to a Behemoth? Much less a King Behemoth.  
  
But then again...  
  
He stared contemplatively for a moment.  
  
That was... a lot of meat. And while he had regained his strength... if he didn't eat something soon, he would loose it.  
  
Behemoth weren't good in close quarters, and Zack had tried rodeo before... and chocobos were nasty if you got under their claws. Ouch.  
  
Then of course, there was the matter of his bangle. He had found that he couldn't really move it from side to side... and now that his arm was starting to swell, any movement of the bangle caused pain. He'd tried a Cure spell, and was glad to find that it actually worked... but his arm was still swollen, and he worried about that.  
  
He felt a trickling down his cheek and brushed it of. More blood. Not going to waste MP on something so minor.  
  
Now, about that King Behemoth... Maybe if he went for the eyes? Or perhaps if he cast Break first...  
  
"No," he decided, "I want to eat it, not use it for a stepping stool..." Maybe Flare? He frowned. That might even cook the meat. He suddenly realized that he had been licking his lips.  
  
"Heh."  
  
Make a bit of noise... and maybe then, one would come. He stared at the claws. "Eyes first, then neck. Then I'll use Flare," he decided. And then, "I'm crazy..."  
  
It wasn't a new revelation, but... it wasn't exactly a pleasant one.  
  
He shook his head. "Food first, then think." That's how it would have to be.  
  
~*~  
  
Nibel Mountains  
  
'Why am I doing this?' wondered Reno, as he trudged right behind Reeve. Reeve, he noticed, had taken to ignoring him as well. Although, he thought that Reeve might know the reason for it.  
  
It wasn't so surprising to Reno, although other people might consider it strange... But he genuinely liked Reeve, and had no desire to see the man hurt. Or killed, which was likely what would happen to him when he was brought in.  
  
Reno had done some quick thinking when he saw Reeve leaning against that post. He'd ended up with one thing. If you never give any indication that you saw something, then no one can prove that you saw it. Therefore, he'd forced himself to erase the vision of Reeve standing there from his mind.  
  
He was a bit surprised that it worked though. If he chose to, he would see the man that he knew was standing right in front of him, but as it was... That backpack was floating.  
  
"Gah..." he said, as he noticed the fact. Logically, he knew that Reeve was carrying it. But since Reeve "wasn't there", the backpack was floating.  
  
He shook his head. He was giving himself delusions. He laughed quietly at the thought. He was trying to drive himself insane. Right in front of him was the man that he'd been wanting to sit and talk with for weeks... and now, he was standing right behind said man... pretending he wasn't there.  
  
Damn him and his own idiocy.  
  
A soft voice behind him made him jump. "Why are you so twitchy? That is not a good trait in an assassin." Valentine.  
  
"Eh..." Reno shook his head. "No... It's hard to explain. I just think I might be going insane..."  
  
"Floating backpacks?"  
  
He chuckled sourly, "Amongst other things."  
  
"Like?"  
  
Valentine hadn't been a very talkative man, according to files. What was so special about the occasion? "Just that I don't think I'm gonna get to do something that I'd been wanting to for quite a while... due to my own idiocy, of course." He nodded, self-depreciatingly.  
  
Valentine sounded amused, "You do realize that you're greatly pissing someone off?"  
  
Reno knew. He'd heard every curse Reeve threw his way. It was quite an educational experience. He hadn't known that Reeve could curse so well. "I can't tell what I don't know. That's my only answer to that." Reno nodded. He hoped that would be a good enough explanation for Reeve. He slipped carefully around the "floating" backpack, careful not to step on the owner's feet.  
  
Vincent just watched him go, looking vaguely amused.  
  
~*~  
  
Rocket Town, About a Week Later  
  
Sidney S. Highwind was a very pissed off man, currently. First off, some whack with poorly dyed hair asks to borrow the Tiny Bronco... then Rufus Shinra... His nephew, actually, not that he'd ever let the boy know that... comes by, and Cid thought that maybe the topic of... I don't know... the Space Program being reopened popping up, maybe?  
  
But no... he just wants to borrow... You guessed it! The Tiny Bronco. Not to mention that fat-ass Palmer... giving him the hope of... aw, damnit all ta hell anyway...  
  
Now, when you're gonna refuse to let someone... especially the President of Shinra... borrow something, one should be polite.  
  
Unfortunately, Cid thought that "tact" was something like "tacky". Politeness was NOT his forte. So, he rather rudely, even by his standards, refused, pointblank to let a bunch of political whackos touch his precious plane. There was no way he'd let them take his wings!  
  
And that's when he heard it. A deep buzzing sound that told him that his plane's motors were running. No. No one was taking his damned wings!!  
  
He ran forward, just as Palmer ran from behind his house... only to be hit by a truck. To bad. His legs pumped faster as the Tiny Bronco followed the lard-ass. Nonononono...  
  
He wasn't surprised to see that whack from earlier on board... what surprised him was that someone else was in the cockpit. Someone with rather unforgettable spiky blonde hair. "Cloud!!" he howled, surprised with a jolt of energy, he leapt up to catch a hold of the wing, followed closely by gunshots. "Shit!!"  
  
He winced, eyes shut at the sound of the metal rotors on the tail as they shredded. When he opened his eyes, he cursed again, "Hang on, and don't piss yerselves!!"  
  
Following his own advice, he clung tightly to the wing, hoping desperately not to fall. He was -not- a good swimmer. He whimpered when they hit the water, starting to slip off. His arm was caught by a gloved hand. It was, he noted absently, a nice glove.  
  
He stared up the arm at the owner of said glove. Blood red eyes set in a beautiful, yet androgynous face. Long hair, flat chest. Must be male, he decided.  
  
The man's grip shifted, and Cid found himself jerked out of the water. The guy was pretty strong, because Cid knew himself not to be a light man.  
  
He nodded at the man, before shaking his legs, trying to get the water off of them. Considering that they were drenched, it would be quite a process. Realizing this, he went to phase two. Yell at the one who was obviously responsible. "Cloud!" he barked.  
  
He heard a girl's voice remark quietly, "Is it just me, or do a lot of people seem to know you?"  
  
The blonde in question turned to give Cid a wide-eyed stare. "Don't you try that," he snarled. "It's bad enough that I had ta see Rufus today. But no! You had to go and try and fly my plane, too. And kidnap me. And crash my plane in the process."  
  
Cloud sunk into the cockpit, still giving him that wide-eyed stare.  
  
"Why the fuck did you try to fly her, anyway? You don't know how ta fly!" Cid was exasperated. Really, kids these days. Such idiots.  
  
Cloud scratched the back of his head with his left hand.  
  
Hm... Wasn't Cloud right handed? 'Will inquire later,' he decided. "Well? Are you as much of an idiot as I think you are, or what?"  
  
"Uhm..."  
  
"No uhms about it. Are you or are you?"  
  
Cloud frowned briefly at him. "Looks like I must be... of course, my opinion is that it depends on how much of an idiot you think I am..."  
  
The man that had pulled him up spoke, "Cloud, you know this man?"  
  
Cloud nodded. "He's my uncle. Didn't know I was as bad as Rufus, though, on the list of people he didn't want to see..."  
  
Cid shook his head, "Nah. I was equating all the problems together maybe being as bad as having to deal with that arrogant brat." He glanced around at those on board, thoughtfully.  
  
The man with the bad dye-job, good looking guy, really, even if you could tell he belonged to SOLDIER on first glance... then again... he could have acquired the Mako-glare in the same manner as his nephew, but that was totally unlikely.  
  
A small oriental looking chick, who he believed to be the one who had spoken earlier. She was wearing short shorts that he thought were actively trying to expose her underwear... really, kids these days.  
  
A slightly larger brunette chick, with a practical sense of style, who cuddled a large monkey-wrench like it was her best friend. She was really quiet.  
  
A strange looking boy with red hair and a tail. Interesting vest he had on, though. Kind of cowboy-ish.  
  
Aside from Cloud, that left the man who had yanked him out of the water like he weighed no more than a soggy pillow. Beatiful face, already mentioned... but the guy actually looked frail. Like really frail. Too frail to be that strong.  
  
Oh well. He shrugged. It wasn't like it really mattered. "Anybody want a soda? Always knew I kept it here for a reason." He pulled a couple of lemon-lime sodas out, followed by a couple of Pepsi Colas. With the prerequisite Shinra logo. Shinra had bought out Pepsi ages ago.  
  
He pulled a Dr. Pepper out for himself, setting it to heat on the wing, as he edged back to the tail of the plane, to give it a once over.  
  
Once he did, he sighed. "Alrighty, people. Just so you know, we won't be able to take off until I can get the parts for some serious repairs."  
  
"Hey, Uncle Cid, wanna help out?"  
  
"Eh?" he asked, startled. "With what?" He lit a cigarette as he waited for the answer.  
  
"Well... Saving the planet, from the big baddies in Shinra... among other things." Cloud grinned disarmingly. Or at least, it would have been disarming... if Cid hadn't known Cloud.  
  
"Mebe." He tipped his head back, giving the sky a thoughtful look. "Can't really go home, now. Yer a bunch of idiots, you know, standing up to the Shinra, like that." He took a drag off of the cigarette before grinning at them. "So... Where do I sign up?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Bob the Almighty, Thank you. =^.^= Love the name. I actually noticed that nobody ever says anything about save points, except in parodies, and it bothered me. You actually talk to someone in the game who talks about it, so I didn't think it should be ignored. I have to admit that I also have a selfish reason for it... Heehee...  
  
Angefantasy, I really look forward to your reviews, they always make my day. =^.^= The Ranma Manga is actually fairly long seeming, to me. I'm only into... I think... third tankoubon (Issue)? Anyway, that's one of the biggest messes I've seen in any show/manga. It's great. Always feel sorry for Ranma, though. *nod nod* As far as the thing about Zack... I think his situation is a -leeeeeetle- bit better than Cloud's would have been... (I liked your phrase, "genetically unstable"... it seemed like a great way to describe it...) And Reno... doesn't see Reeve 'cause Reno doesn't want to see Reeve. He can't tell about what he doesn't see, right? ^_______^ I have been whipping these out pretty fast, huh. (Kinda weird that is, too, especially for me...) Where do you find the Tonberries, aside from the Final Dungeon? I never figured that one out... All I know, is that I hate the damn things...  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On the white chocobo in Mideel: I can't get the damned thing to give me the Contain materia!! SquareSoft is evil!!! (I suppose that's SquareEnix, now, though, huh?) Mean!! Mean People!!! *chokes on a hiccup* Ouchies... *teary eyes* (This one's tiny...)  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	22. Cliffy Thing

A Special Note For All You Loving Fans: I gotta question... Should I make this a Three Part Epic? Or should I keep it all in the same story? Because it's getting long... And if I do a Three Parter, then I can just make it by disc, ya know? Well, I'll leave it up to a vote. When I get near the end of Disc One... I'll count the votes for either way... one vote per person, please.  
  
So the question is... Make this a Trilogy? Or make this thing 60 chapters (at least) by the end?  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 21  
  
Chapter Title: Cliffy Thing  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Zack gets a nasty surprise, Reeve listens in on a conversation, and the team on board the Tiny Bronco gets acquainted with Snausages. =¬.¬=  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Ehr... nasty particular cliffy type thing (pun intended)... Objectification of Tifa (or something...). And... Snausages.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Unknown  
  
Zack had given up on walking around the Mako pools. They were everywhere, and every time he tried, he always fell in. So, by the time he finally found a way out of the caverns, his pants were rather stiff with dry Mako.  
  
He supposed that given enough time, he could grow to not mind his current lifestyle, but he didn't want to be stuck in it long enough for that to happen. If it was possible, it was much colder on the surface than it had been in the caverns. Luckily, he had been a fairly good hunter before he joined SOLDIER. He knew how to separate the hide from an animal's carcass with a bit more efficiency than most in SOLDIER.  
  
So he wasn't as cold as he could have been... And now, he had a weapon. Since he'd had the claws at the time... he'd been able to give one of the King Behemoth's bones an edge that he worked razor fine against some of the finer grained rock. So now, he had a very big, very sharp bone knife. And a leather riding crop, but that was beside the point.  
  
It had taken a bit of work, but he also now had something to try to be warm with. The King Behemoth's fur had looked yellow in the light from the Mako, but it was actually a rather pale tan. So, he didn't stand out too much against the ice and snow.  
  
He let out a rather shaky breath as he stared down the cliff face. How in hell was he supposed to get down? He could see a house down there even. Damn.  
  
Well, at least he knew where he was, now. He stood at the top of the Gaea Cliffs.  
  
He sat down with a huff, knowing that he just wasn't going to be able to make it down... Not without killing himself, anyway. He then proceeded to attempt to rub feeling back into his feet. Maybe he should go back to that nice little hot spring he had found, and soak his feet... it would be really bad to get frostbite... if he didn't already have it.  
  
He stood back up quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly, as he had been sitting right on the edge of the cliff face. His numb feet weren't much help in his attempt to regain his balance.  
  
He shrieked as he fell.  
  
~*~  
  
Rocket Town  
  
Reeve stared after the Tiny Bronco. That was odd. He shook his head. That left him, Tifa, Barret, Cait and Reno.  
  
He pulled out his PHS to ring Seph. There was no answer. Cait peeked up at him from his foot. "Reeve?"  
  
"Hn?"  
  
"Barret's trying to smash Reno." The cat rubbed his face with a paw. "Smash, not shoot. With his gun arm. I'm not sure, but I think you're the one left with the highest authority."  
  
Reeve snorted, tugging the baseball cap that he was currently wearing down over his eyes. Hoping that whoever was with Rufus... Tseng, probably... wouldn't see... rather, wouldn't notice him.  
  
He decided that the mechanic's outfit did make him a little below notice, which was a good thing, as far as he was concerned.  
  
He was still a bit pissed of at Reno, though. He understood what Reno was doing... at least, he hoped that Reno was doing it consciously... or else he would just have to turn the man in to an asylum... but that didn't mean he liked it.  
  
He wandered over to where Palmer was being put into an helicopter ambulance. He really had nothing against the man personally, but... Well, it's not a pretty sight, when a man puts lard in tea.  
  
He found himself between the chopper and a bush, when he heard Tseng's voice. "And what happened to the floating sandwich?"  
  
"Well..." Reno sounded stressed, "I told you! Nibelheim's haunted. I got Vincent Valentine's autograph!" Reeve could just imagine said autograph being thrusted into Tseng's face, and hid his smile. "And Vincent Valentine's dead, right?"  
  
Tseng murmured something inaudible, as Rufus coughed.  
  
"I know, no proof. But he just took off in that plane, along with the others."  
  
Rufus broke in, "And who's left here?"  
  
"The chick with the knockers, mister big and ugly over there... He tried to... nevermind. And the talking cat."  
  
"Have you seen any sign of Kyle Reeve?"  
  
Reno was probably shaking his head here. "What's the last you guys found on him? I can't seem to find anything on 'im. Then again, I didn't think it would be easy."  
  
Once again, Tseng's voice was to soft to understand.  
  
"Of course. I'll let you know if I see the slightest... Oh!!! Valentine asked about him! That's about it..." the last was delivered in a rather blank tone.  
  
There was silence, and then the copter started lifting off. When it was gone, Reeve saw that the only people still there were AVALANCHE and the locals.  
  
A voice spoke up behind him. "You know, I don't think that Reno's a half bad guy," it was Tifa, "and if he'd stop referring to me as the 'chick with the knockers', I'd think he was a fairly decent guy." She grinned at him before walking over to the others.  
  
Reeve rolled his eyes, "Oh, I feel loved..."  
  
"You should," pronounced Cait Sith, who was still sitting on his foot.  
  
"Thank you," was his sarcastic reply.  
  
~*~  
  
Tiny Bronco  
  
Seph twitched slightly, watching Nanaki consume about a third of a bag of Snausages. "You do realize that those are dog treats, right?" he asked the cat boy.  
  
Nanaki shrugged. "It's that, or canned cat food. They're not that bad, really."  
  
Cid piped up. "Better'n Shinra rations, I'll bet you that."  
  
Sephiroth picked one up and frowned at it. "Really?" he asked.  
  
Cid nodded, as Yuffie and Jessie shook their heads. Vincent was silent as usual, and Cloud... well, Cloud was eating them too. And drinking Cola.  
  
He bit down on it experimentally. It was dry. But other than that... Cid was right. "A lot better than Shinra rations," he agreed.  
  
"I once saw a man put out for two weeks after eating the 'bread'. Terrible stuff. A dragon got the rest of it... Two entire boxes... died the next day. We found it in the mountains." Cid shook his head sadly. "Felt sorry for the damn thing, though."  
  
Vincent shuddered slightly. It was barely noticeable, but it was the only motion the man had made in an entire hour, so... Yeah. Anyway. Sephiroth leaned forward, conspiratorially. "I knew a man who could eat them without getting sick."  
  
Cid and Vincent stared at him in horror. With Cid it was a bit more obvious though. "How... the... Do I wanna know?"  
  
Sephiroth smirked. "A friend of mine. I had been using one of the bocks as a door block. He... he ate my doorstop!" he exclaimed.  
  
Cid's shoulders began to shake. Soon, the man was laughing so hard that he started to slip off of the back of the plane. Vincent yanked him back up before he had the chance to go far, however.  
  
"Thanks," he gasped, "I can't swim that well..." He calmed his breath a bit. "Actually, I sink more than swim... So this isn't the greatest place for me."  
  
Cloud cursed. "Damnit! I forgot that you couldn't swim!"  
  
Cid chuckled. "I didn't. Not for a minute, brat." He gave the water a surreptitious look, though, and edged away from it. Then he stood up, walking to the cockpit. Then he reached down to pull Cloud out. "Now that I'm right here, I'd better ask... What the hell did you do to your arm?"  
  
"Uh? This? A baby Zuu tried to eat it."  
  
Seph shook his head at that. Although he had already heard it, it still seemed ridiculous.  
  
Cid sat down in the cockpit himself, "Why am I not surprised?" he questioned no one in particular. "Alright, where do we go?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, The tail on Reno, yes... but Zack's claws are more of an addition to an older experiment of Hojo's... Heh. As for the Cid being the uncle of both of them... more on that later. =¬.¬= *innocent whistling* I remembered where the Tonberries were in 8, it was 7 that I was wondering about... Final Dungeon is the North Crater at the end of the game (how it's described in the guide)... and those are King Tonberries, I think... You can fight some regular ones in Battle Arena occasionally... You know, I always find myself on the path with the King Tonberries? (I run from them. Heheh.) And with Cloud alone, too. The more others you send off, the more stuff they bring back. =¬.¬= Something that kinda bothers me... they don't mention Tonberries even once in the guide. I looked. Searched the monster manual part thoroughly and still... *cries* =^.^= Heh...  
  
ChibiBoko, Heehee... Feelings don't always respond well to thinkings, methinks. That being my little explanation for Reeve's annoyance. Yah, Rufus is the only one left out of the loop on the family thing... (I plan on making that very complicated... 'Cause once I get around to it, it's more than just those three...) As for the hand thing... Remember the thing with the Zuu? Cid doesn't know about that... and Cloud... ruined his right arm there. Almost beyond use. (I think Vincent/Cid is a really cute pairing... such a polite, quiet guy and a really rambunctious type... makes a good couple, ne?) Ah! Just went out and got a few of every type, and it ate the Milmett. (Cloud calls them Salomen Greens, though, when he's feeding it... Typo! Typo!! Hahaha!!)  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Nothing In Particular: My brain is fried. I can't think of a damn thing at the moment, 'cause I've been listening to the strangest music... And I *long pause* am currently having a brain *long pause*... dysfunction, I guess... And that is a weird ass word. Dysfunction. Heehee... You should be glad that this... dysfunction of mine set in after I finished up on the chapter... Heheh...  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	23. Together Again

A Special Note For All You Loving Fans: I gotta question... Should I make this a Three Part Epic? Or should I keep it all in the same story? Because it's getting long... And if I do a Three Parter, then I can just make it by disc, ya know? Well, I'll leave it up to a vote. When I get near the end of Disc One... I'll count the votes for either way... one vote per person, please.  
  
So the question is... Make this a Trilogy? Or make this thing 60 chapters (at least) by the end?  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 22  
  
Chapter Title: Together Again  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Zack's rescue! A bit of Turks (minus Reno and Tseng)... and everyone gets back together!!  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Zack? Confusion. A semi-serious part. =¬.¬=  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mr. Holzoff's House  
  
Mr. Holzoff prodded at the prone form of the young man laying on the floor. He'd dragged him back into his house after finding him at the base of the cliff. He had absolutely no idea how the man had survived that fall. Nothing else ever had. Although, he had seen other creatures, and occasionally people fall, even after his warnings.  
  
The man groaned and stirred. One eye opened to reveal blazing gold. Probably a SOLDIER, Mr. Holzoff decided.  
  
The man coughed and stared blearily up at him. "You know those dreams where you're falling... I keep having those..."  
  
Mr. Holzoff blinked. "I'm sorry, young man, but I don't think that was a dream."  
  
The man sat up groggily. "That too..." He rubbed his head, frowning. "I think I hit my head on a rock on the way down... or two, three, ten, and a tree..."  
  
Mr. Holzoff smiled slightly, "You seem to be taking this rather well..."  
  
"That would be the concussion." The eyes narrowed slightly on him. "Who are you?"  
  
"Holzoff... Mr. Holzoff. What would your name be, then, young man?"  
  
The man gave him a strange look before supplying his own name. "Zachary Donovan... And I'm not as young as I look..." he rubbed his head. "You know... it's really hot in here."  
  
Mr. Holzoff nodded. "I suppose it would be, but you need to recover from the cold. Your feet and hands seemed to be on the verge of frostbite."  
  
Zack stared at his hands. "I'd been worried about that..." He lifted a foot, "I was gonna go back to the hot spring, when I fell."  
  
"How did you fall, anyway?"  
  
"My feet were numb. I was way up there, sitting on the edge... I stood up and lost my balance. Damn numb feet." He glanced back up at Mr. Holzoff. "Somebody should put some railings up there..."  
  
~*~  
  
Turks Office, Shinra Building  
  
Rude stared at the mess that was encroaching on his friend's perpetually neat desk. Reno would not be happy when he got back. Although, it would give him an excuse to clean up Tseng's mess. He thought about remarking upon that to Tseng, when he came back in.  
  
He eventually decided not to, if only for the fact that watching Tseng and Reno fight was one of the more amusing things that happened in this office. That and the occasional visit from Rufus, which were more common since the man took charge of the company.  
  
Speaking of Rufus... He had just come into the office, and was hacking with Elena over something. He listened for a moment.  
  
"Why do you want me to...?" Elena began sharply.  
  
"Well, I noticed that the records didn't match..." Rufus said, in earnest.  
  
Rude let himself zone back out, not sure if he wanted to care what they were talking about. He looked up at the clock. Another hour and he'd be able to hit the booze.  
  
Another waft of their conversation converged on his awareness.  
  
"I'll need a good camera, I guess, for that one. I get hazard pay, you know." Since when did Elena know that the Turks actually got hazard pay?  
  
"As long as you get what I want, then I'll pay accordingly. Just make sure you don't get caught." Rufus ran a hand through his hair. "I want any and all information as soon as you get it. Alright?"  
  
"Individual pay. Per picture. Plus hazard pay."  
  
"...Fine." Since when did Rufus let himself get suckered so easily?  
  
Oh well. Rude blinked, and suddenly Rufus was in front of him. His sunglasses were pulled down, and Rufus stared him in the eye for a moment. "Rude?" he asked.  
  
"...?"  
  
"Are you high?"  
  
~*~  
  
Back in Rocket Town  
  
So, they were all together again. Nibie... had come off of the plain, dragging what looked to be a Diablo. She then proceeded to eat it rather noisily, as Cloud congratulated her. The Flapbeat joined the wolf in her feast.  
  
Reeve, somehow, ended up right next to Reno, which annoyed him more than he'd wish to admit. If the man was going to pretend he wasn't there... Why did he have to stand next to him?  
  
He sighed noisily, and ignored Nibie's messy consumption of the Diablo, which seemed to bother everyone else... even Reno.  
  
He glanced around at everyone, noting where they all stood in relation to each other. Jessie stood right behind Barret, who was sitting next to Tifa. About ten feet away from Cloud, who was delightedly petting Nibie as she ate. Cid perched on a fencepost, smoking a cigarette, while Vincent stood right next to him, silent. Yuffie was on Cid's other side, attempting to pester Vincent from there. They were right next to Nanaki, who sat between Reeve and Vincent. Seph sat a few feet away from where Reno stood... right next to Reeve, who had Cait Sith on his foot.  
  
And that would be everybody. He narrowed his eyes on Cid for a moment, recognizing him as the old president's younger brother. Cid, so far, had aged a lot better than his brother did. The man was quite obviously very fit, and could probably run circles around Rufus.  
  
Sephiroth was speaking, "We stopped to get supplies, and the man said something about a keystone, that Dio had. I'm not sure..."  
  
Cloud interrupted, "When I was at the Gold Saucer before, Dio said something about the Black Materia. If we're going to get ahold of that before Aerith does... We need the keystone."  
  
Reno spoke up, and Reeve jumped, "How do you know about this anyway?"  
  
Cloud rubbed the back of his head. "Well... Mum said something about a Temple containing a dark force of magic, that being the Black Materia, and a stone that was the key to enter. She said that it's a dangerous place, though. But I think we have to go there."  
  
Reeve pondered on this for a moment. "Or else Aerith gets the 'dark force of magic' as it were. No way around it?"  
  
Cloud nodded. "Or else Aerith gets the Black Materia."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, =^.^= Yeah, that would definitely qualify as a really nasty surprise... Zack's survival... aren't you glad? It wouldn't be as much fun without him to torture... Did I say torture? I meant play with. Heehee... (Reno/Reeve is another really cute couple that I don't find enough of... =^.^=) Don't worry, they'll get around to talking... not too soon though, or that'd ruin the fun. (=^______^=) Zack, definitely. I like to think of the man as being able to eat almost anything... (He ate Behemoth. *shrugs*) As for the rest... I might have that stuff up this chappy, maybe next... Thank you for your vote!  
  
ChibiBoko, Eh... Well, there's a lot of Mako there... wet rocks and... yeah. I think Hunter!Zack is cute. =^.^= The crop... is absolutely useless as of yet, but will eventually be used... (for a bad joke, really) Heheh... Nibie... that'll be explained soon, if not already... I noticed the thing with the mini-black cloaks, just didn't connect it. =v.v= Very sad... Yo Cid!! (Liked that bit, 'bet Vincent'd let ya sit in his lap if you asked...' Heehee...)  
  
RavensHaelo, Heheh... Snausages. Heehee...  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On the Black Materia (while I'm at it): I always thought that it was weird, you know, that you get it, give it to Seph, you get it back, and then you give it back to Seph. Sephiroth is screwy I tell you!! Why couldn't he have just left it with you? That way you wouldn't have to give it to him twice!! Damn!! Waah!! *cries*  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	24. Battle Arena! Among Other Things

A Special Note For All You Loving Fans: I gotta question... Should I make this a Three Part Epic? Or should I keep it all in the same story? Because it's getting long... And if I do a Three Parter, then I can just make it by disc, ya know? Well, I'll leave it up to a vote. When I get near the end of Disc One... I'll count the votes for either way... one vote per person, please.  
  
So the question is... Make this a Trilogy? Or make this thing 60 chapters (at least) by the end?  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 23  
  
Chapter Title: Battle Arena! Among Other Things  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: We find out what Sephiroth has been up too, as well as getting to see a bit of Vincent!InAction. Then a bit of Reeve and Reno in action, as it were...  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Seph being a strange, strange man... Reno popping up in weird places (Only once!)... Reeve/Reno... kinda...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Battle Arena Showroom, Gold Saucer  
  
There it was. It didn't look like much, Sephiroth noted to himself, concerning the keystone. A green stone, possibly malachite, or quartz laced with copper, sitting on a purple satin pillow. Maybe it was jade? Not that it really mattered, all that mattered was that he get it. He really couldn't get himself to just take it, though.  
  
He glanced down at the little handheld game he had been playing. He unpaused it, and continued playing. He would hear if anyone came up behind him, so he would be able to hide it quickly.  
  
The kid who'd given it to him in Nibelheim said that the game was unbeatable. After some contemplation, and about ten hours of straight playing, he'd decided that the boy was right. It was addicting, though, so he'd been playing it almost continuously since.  
  
He was startled by a head of red hair inserting itself into his vision. "Tetris, huh?" Reno.  
  
"Gah!!" He pulled away from the Turk, who had gotten just a little too close to him in that brief moment of getting between him and the game. How the hell the man had gotten between his arms that quickly was utterly beyond him. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
Reno grinned at him, "I brought Dio over here, 'cause ya want the keystone, right?"  
  
Sephiroth nodded once. He then glanced behind himself to find the man himself -in bikini briefs, as usual- almost right behind him. "Eep."  
  
"So, you want the keystone? It's not for sale."  
  
Sephiroth blinked. "How about borrowing?"  
  
The man shook his head. "Provide me with entertainment, and I'll let you take it."  
  
'Eep. Entertainment?' He shook his head, to clear the disturbing thoughts about what the man might want from him. "What do you have in mind?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"Have you ever competed in Battle Arena?"  
  
"..."  
  
~*~  
  
Battle Arena, Gold Saucer  
  
Vincent stared at the screen contemplatively, watching with everyone else as Sephiroth beat the crap out of the unsuspecting monsters. He shook his head at that.  
  
Finally, it was the eighth fight, and it looked to be all over for the monster... a Ghost Ship... when... the monster swung it's oar out, flinging Sephiroth away from it, and out of the camera's pickup range.  
  
"?" Vincent turned to find the door to the arena wide open, with a swirly- eyed Sephiroth lying on the steps. "Uh oh," he murmured, as the Ghost Ship followed Sephiroth out of the Arena. He snapped out his Winchester, and shot it several times. Once, cracking the skull; twice, disconnecting it's right arm; thrice, ripping off it's left arm, right at the shoulder.  
  
Everyone turned to stare at him.  
  
"What?" he asked quietly. Did he just do something wrong?  
  
A brown-eyed brunette girl latched onto his arm. "That was sooo cool!!" She sighed. The guy standing next to them nodded, staring with open admiration. The others in the room began clapping.  
  
Needless to say... Vincent was -not- comfortable with this... "Hmm?" The man suddenly winced, leaning over and holding his hand to his belly.  
  
The girl clinging to his arm let go, in favor of the decidedly ill looking man. "Zone! Are you alright?"  
  
Vincent used this opportunity to go see if Sephiroth was alright. The man still lie on the steps, looking... a bit pale. He shook Seph's shoulder lightly.  
  
Sephiroth groaned, then sat up. "Ouch..." He rubbed his head, staring at the now dead monster in the doorway. "I feel sorry for whoever has to clean that up..."  
  
Vincent silently agreed.  
  
~*~  
  
Ghost Hotel, Room 1, Gold Saucer  
  
So what? The tram was out, sure, but that didn't mean that they had to make Reeve room with Reno! Oh, the unbearable silence. Was Reno really this quiet when he was alone?  
  
Actually, it wouldn't be so bad if Reno would just stop pacing. Reeve sighed from the bed he was sitting on. Why did he have to room with Reno?  
  
Back and forth... five steps one way, five steps the other. Back and forth. It was aggravating. Not to mention, there was absolutely nowhere in the room that Reeve could sit and not be facing Reno. Sure, he could turn around on the bed, but... he didn't like having his back to the door.  
  
Reeve put another crease in the paper he was folding.  
  
Back and forth... back and forth. Damn him anyway.  
  
He folded it again, almost violently. It's not like the room had cameras. He'd checked for those thoroughly when he entered the room. He then watched Reno do the same thing when -he- entered the room. So it wasn't like Reno -had- to ignore him here.  
  
Reno's tail swooshed lightly through the air behind him as he continued to pace.  
  
Damn tail, taunting him. He grumbled to himself, flicking the newly made paper football at the pacing man.  
  
Reno paused, startled, as it smacked him in the face. He glanced vaguely in Reeve's direction, then, shaking his head, continued to pace.  
  
Damn Reno anyway. "What would it take?" he murmured, a rather insidious idea coming to mind. A slight smile formed on his face. And here he'd thought that all of his bad humor had gone to Cait Sith.  
  
"I suppose I could threaten bodily harm... but that's no fun... You know, while I was at Shinra, I heard some interesting rumors..." Reeve waited a moment for a response. Getting none, he continued, "I recall something from when you were promoted to a Turk... Something about the president and a feather duster, really..."  
  
There!! A twitch! Now he knew that Reno was listening.  
  
"And then there was some second hand information from one of the parties... Did you really let Palmer pants you?" Reeve grinned, as Reno twitched again. "Are you really one of President Shinra's love children? Did you actually eat some of the pistachio pudding at that last function?"  
  
He scratched his chin, "From what I heard, that wasn't actually pistachio pudding..." Reno's pacing faltered briefly. "Is it true that you're a retired rock star currently hiding from thousands of adoring fans?" A soft snort. Not enough.  
  
Hm... time to pull out the big guns.  
  
"Is it true that you're actually a woman?" Another falter. Better. But still not good enough. "I suppose this is going to get dirty," he sighed. "Am I really going to have to resort to stripping to get your attention?" Another falter.  
  
Damn Reno anyway.  
  
"Fine then!" he exclaimed. "It's hot in here anyway!" He began unbuttoning the over shirt. Damn Reno. He sat up and leaned back a little, so that he could untuck it. From there, it was easy to take off. He folded it, placing it on the edge of the bed, before moving on to his tee-shirt. That was easy enough.  
  
Considering that one has to pull a tee-shirt over one's head before it comes off, he missed the shocked look on Reno's face. He did, however, feel the shirt being pulled back down. Ha! He wasn't going to give up that easy!  
  
So, it was war. He couldn't really sleep in that anyway. Reno... it had to be Reno... didn't seem to want him to take his shirt off though, and was proving this by a rather belated attempt to put it back where it was supposed to be.  
  
Funny, though. Reeve had always thought of Reno as the undressing type, not the dressing type.  
  
He tried pushing Reno away without the use of his hands, which were still involved in the attempt to remove the shirt... Somehow, he finally got it off. Although, he realized, somewhat belatedly, that he and Reno were sprawled across the floor, him draped across the other.  
  
"Uhm..." he found himself blushing. "Oops?"  
  
Reno opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again, closing it directly afterwards. "Nope. I ain't got nothing." He shook his head.  
  
Reeve sat up, shaking his own head. "..."  
  
Reno arched an eyebrow, "Since when... did you have tattoos?"  
  
~*~  
  
Ghost Hotel, Room 2, Gold Saucer  
  
Sephiroth was glad to finally get some alone time. It was strange that he ended up alone, but he was glad. He could sit and think for a while.  
  
Oddly enough, he didn't feel like playing Tetris, so he just lay back and stared at the ceiling. It had a strange ghosty patern. Not surprising, considering the place.  
  
His eyes were drifting shut when he heard a knock. "Hm?" He got up, yawning, to go see who it was.  
  
Cloud.  
  
He blinked. "What is it?"  
  
Cloud looked up at him, with a small frown. "I was wondering if I could stay in here?"  
  
He scratched the back of his head, nodding. "Why?"  
  
Cloud rubbed his eyes. "I haven't been sleeping well, lately, and Nibie snores. Loudly. You don't mind?"  
  
He shook his head. He stood aside to allow Cloud in. Somehow, he just knew it would be a long night.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
ChibiBoko, Seph... has been busy. Hope you like what I had here... I took your suggestion for the Ghost Ship... and I hope you like my instead-of- date bit. =^.^=  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, =¬.¬= Wha? (*singing* Because I was high, because I was high....) Yeah, anyway...  
  
Angefantasy, Ah, the torture! Sorry about the lack of Zack this chappy, but I didn't have a Zack-muse pop up on me, this time... Yup, on Cid, he changed his name, although, I'm gonna get into that later. Unfortunately, not on the bit about Cloud's mom... (in this, she never married) and believe me, the who's-related-to-who is going to get really complicated, by the time I'm finished. =¬.¬= Hope this chappy make you happy! (I like rhyming... heehee...) Lack of Zack, happy chappy... heehee.  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Palmer: I've noticed that he's almost never in fics, excepting ones with Shinra executive parties. But he's actually one of the bigger people in Cid's life, being in control of the Space Program as he is. So, I wonder... Where in the world is Palmer? (Honestly, the man's kinda creepy, what with the lard in tea, thing... *shudders*)  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	25. Still At Gold Saucer

Current Votes: On whether I should turn this into a Trilogy, or just make it hella long.  
  
1 For Trilogy  
  
0 For One Hella Long Ass Story  
  
~*~  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 24  
  
Chapter Title: Still At Gold Saucer  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Zack is back on his feet... And the crew at Gold Saucer gets a surprising wake-up call. Then we get to see what's going on at Shinra!  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Vincent being girly. O.o' The girls being confusing... Scarlet being... introspective.... and a frustrated Elena. I guess...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Great Glacier  
  
He was lost again... kind of. And it was even colder out here after that nice warm (hot) house. At least now, he had warm clothes. And what do you know? Almost everything fit, even the boots.  
  
He'd given Mr. Holzoff the Behemoth hide in return for the stuff, so he didn't feel bad about taking it. He'd even managed to get a bath. He was really glad of that, especially after he realized how much dried Mako he'd had on him. Yuck.  
  
He hopped up to the top of a rock to sit. He was a bit tired, after all of that walking. As he stared contemplatively at the trail, he realized something.  
  
He could hear someone murmuring, not too far away from him.  
  
He blinked. "?" He stood up, a little too quickly and fell from the rock. "Ouch!"  
  
He tried to sit up... but his head hurt. A hand moved to the back of his head, and he pulled it away, only to see it covered in blood. Damnit!  
  
He was a bit surprised, however, to see a pale face framed by icy blue hair, just before the darkness creeping up from the edge of his vision overtook him.  
  
~*~  
  
Ghost Hotel, Room 3, Gold Saucer  
  
A shrill, piercing shriek echoed through the room, and, Cid rather thought, the entirety of Gold Saucer after that.  
  
He stared at the source of the disturbingly feminine sound. Vincent, wide- eyed, was pressed up against the wall next to his bed, as a rather cute fluffy blue thing sat on his bed, staring at him. The poor man was hyperventilating, Cid noticed calmly, before shoving his own head underneath his pillow.  
  
The clock on Vincent's side of the room had said 7:00. Shit. He sat back up, noticing that the blue creature was gone, and Vincent seemed to be settling back in to sleep.  
  
Cid never stayed in bed this late. It was two hours later than his regular wake up time... and waking up late had always been a bad start for him. He glowered at the clock, willing it back to 5. It didn't work.  
  
"Damnit," he muttered, getting up. His wake up call had at least been amusing, so he probably wouldn't be in too foul a mood by the end of the day. He yawned and stretched, replaying the scene in his mind. Heh. Although he could have done without that terrible sound, it was still kind of funny.  
  
What he wanted to know was how Vincent managed to get back to sleep so fast. At least... he thought that the other man was asleep.  
  
He eyed the prone figure on the other bed. He still thought that Vincent was too frail... Maybe he didn't eat enough? He kind of reminded Cid of one of those night-owl goths that he used to share a dorm with, back when he was in college. Long black hair, black and red clothes, buckles.  
  
Although, Vincent had taken most of that off, before going to bed. He had, Cid decided, very girly feet.  
  
Surprised at himself, he chuckled. It was true, though. Vincent had rather elegant feet, far more suited to a woman. A dancer, or a swimmer. Not to a man. Much less a one-time assassin.  
  
He pulled on his shoes, trying to light a cigarette at the same time. It didn't work very well. Somehow, he managed to burn his foot, and that just wasn't good.  
  
~*~  
  
Food Court, Gold Saucer  
  
Reno sat rather heavily next to Cloud with a cup of triple-shot espresso. He glanced at the blonde, who was rather cheerfully feeding Nibie most of his very large breakfast. "Did it wake you up too?" he asked.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"The scream," he clarified.  
  
Cloud shook his head. "I was already awake." Then he grinned. "You know those little statues in the rooms?"  
  
Reno nodded, sipping his drink, then grimacing at the taste.  
  
"Seph chopped one in half." Cloud chuckled. "He sleeps with his sword. On the bed with him."  
  
Reno blinked. "Hm... Reeve has tattoos," he said, feeling that was the only thing he could say to match that.  
  
"Wha?" Cloud shook his head. "I thought you were ignoring him?"  
  
Reno paused for a moment, then put a hand to his mouth. "Oops..." He dug a paper out of his pocket. He glanced at it to make sure that it was what he was looking for, then shoved it into Cloud's face. He sipped at the espresso, waiting for Cloud's reaction. He smirked when the blonde began to look confused.  
  
Cloud shook his head. "I don't get it."  
  
"Simple. I am not to be held responsible for anything I say or do before the fifth cup. Of coffee that is." He pointed at the signatures at the bottom of the page. His own, Tseng's, Rude's and Rufus'. Elena's wasn't there, because she hadn't been a Turk when the contract had been made.  
  
Cloud nodded. "So, you're not responsible for early morning slip ups? Okay, then. What are they of?"  
  
Reno grinned, "The one's I saw looked tribal. You know, similar to some of the stuff Nanaki's got. The one on his shoulder looked like a cat if you stared long enough."  
  
Cloud arched an eyebrow, "And I'll bet you did."  
  
"Like yer one to talk, lover-boy. I know you didn't sleep where you were supposed too." He waggled a finger in Cloud's face. "so, how was it?"  
  
"Hey!! That's no way to speak to the innocent!"  
  
"Who's innocent?"  
  
~*~  
  
Service Pipes, Gold Saucer  
  
Yuffie stared at Jessie and Tifa. "So... Was that the last one?"  
  
Jessie flipped her wrench around. "Yeah. It looks so."  
  
Tifa rubbed he palms together. "How much is he going to pay us, for this?"  
  
"30,000," Yuffie murmured. "That leaves us with 10,000 apiece, and after paying Cloud back, we'll each have at least 3,000 left." She grinned.  
  
"Hell, yeah!" Jessie laughed maniacally. "And we're still going to...?"  
  
Tifa nodded, "Definitely! How about you, Yuffie?"  
  
"Kitto! But... do you really think it'll work?"  
  
Tifa and Jessie glanced at each other, uncertainly. Tifa finally nodded again, "Definitely."  
  
"Hell, yeah," agreed Jessie.  
  
"Kitto!" Yuffie grinned, "How do you think we should do this?"  
  
Tifa rubbed the back of her neck, in a manner reminiscent of Cloud, "I think we'd better do this before we get to that temple..."  
  
Jessie frowned, "I think it may have to wait..."  
  
Yuffie agreed with Jessie. "I don't think we have enough time before we get there..."  
  
Jessie nodded. "I think we may as well leave Uncle Reeve and Barret out of it."  
  
"Why?" asked Tifa.  
  
Yuffie chuckled, "They're to manly looking... Seph's gonna be hard enough..."  
  
They all laughed, and headed back to Battle Arena, to find Dio.  
  
~*~  
  
Weapons Development, Shinra Building  
  
Scarlet Highwind, once married to the very same Sidney Highwind, who was traveling now with AVALANCHE, threw her latest creation at Hojo, as the scientist exited her office. There was no way she would consent to giving the creepy man tissue samples. Besides that, knowing a little about his current research, she knew that doing so just might get her into more trouble than it was worth.  
  
She decided that next time he asked, she was going to break his arm. Definitely. That was one thing she respected Reeve for. The man apparently had no qualms about breaking his one-time-friend's arm on a regular basis.  
  
As it were, she kind of missed the man. When he left, a lot of things around the offices changed... and not for the better. Hojo had gotten more demanding, and Rufus... well, that was another story that she really didn't want to think about.  
  
Up until recently, Hojo's complaint about the "kamikaze blue rabbit" had gone ignored... that is, until said rabbit began making attempts on Rufus' life. That was right around when Rufus' named his heir. The rabbit.  
  
It wasn't certain whether or not the creature was intelligent or not... but apparently, it figured it would be in good stead if it could get rid of Rufus. And Rufus... seemed to have a perpetually bandaged foot, because the rabbit seemed determined to take him out, piece by piece. Foot first. Specifically, right foot first.  
  
It was also rather well known that the kamikaze rabbit was originally something of Hojo's. Hojo was the only scientist they had that could be that demented.  
  
She stared at the gun that lay on the floor next to the door and sighed. She really wished Reeve hadn't left. He was probably the most sane person that shared an equal rank with her... Not to mention that the man was a mechanical genius. He was just good. The little robot that had been running around the building some years back was proof of that. It was also proof that the man was nearly as demented as Hojo, considering some of the things that robot had done.  
  
Unlike some of the others around Shinra, she hadn't been surprised to find out that he had formerly been a Turk, either. Before the last time. A stroke of genius. He quit the Turks, and rejoined in a different capacity, several years later. The capacity in which he rejoined being something that he wasn't good with. Field work.  
  
Then he moved on to working in Urban Development. He became the head fairly quickly, and his department was suddenly the most well organized portion of Shinra.  
  
She was also one of the few who had known that the man had been blackmailing the president.  
  
She chuckled, remembering some of the things she had found out about. There was this thing about the old man wearing a French Maid's outfit... And Reno, who was made a Turk a few days later had walked in on that.  
  
Her chuckle became a full-blown cackle, "Kya ha ha ha!"  
  
~*~  
  
Turks Office, Shinra building  
  
Elena chewed on one perfectly manicured nail, staring at the pictures that Rufus had asked her to go over. She wasn't sure why he really wanted to know everyone's ages... he'd been correct, though, when he said that everyone's information was wrong when it came to age. At least... most of the higher executives.  
  
She'd actually managed to figure out a lot of them.  
  
Scarlet: 34 Her papers claimed her to be 27.  
  
Heidegger: 56 His papers said 35.  
  
Rufus: 24 His papers said 30.  
  
Palmer: ? His papers said 42.  
  
Reeve: ? His papers had said 35. Considering that he had claimed to be 15 upon his second entry to the Turks... She'd managed to find some of his original paperwork... He had claimed to be 15 when he joined the Turks for the first time... In his photo, he looked to be about 10. And that was about 20 years before he actually left the Turks for the first time... There was about 5 years between his leaving and reentering the Turks... He guess of his age was about 45... but there was no way to be sure...  
  
She started banging her head against her desk. Rude glanced at her curiously from his seat. She sighed, shaking her head at him. "I never was good at algebra," she admitted.  
  
His face remained blank, and not for the first time, she wished that he would take those damned sunglasses off, so she could tell what he thought... or at least what he was feeling.  
  
She put her work away and stood up. "Rude? Tell Tseng that I'm off on a specially assigned mission from Rufus, okay?"  
  
He nodded silently, watching her go out. Once she was gone, he tipped his head back, asking the security cameras, "What did she need the algebra for?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, Illusions are nice... Heehee... Sorry. Yeah, Cloud has trouble sleeping more from the dreaming than the snoring (that boy could sleep through a rocket blasting off next door)... And methinks Seph would be very upset if he found out about that, ne?  
  
Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Muahahahaha!!! Haha!! Hahahaaha!!! (Is that the royal "we"?)  
  
ChibiBoko, Dear God... *personally agrees about Cid* *wink wink* *nudge nudge* About that tattoo.. it's special. *wink wink* Can't really blame Cloud fer not wanting to sleep all on his little lonesome, though... bad dreams, methinks. Palmer more creeps me out than anything else... (Especially the way I wrote him... He was ogling Cid. *snickers*) He asked for -lard- in his tea!  
  
RavensHaelo, Eh, I thought it sounded fitting, you know, Rufus being Rufus, and Rude being Rude.  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Towns: All considered, there are very few cities and towns that you can actually go to. There must be other ones, right? If there weren't, Midgar couldn't have gotten that big. They need farming communities and whatnot, right? So, it's okay to make up your own little towns and whatnot for Final Fantasy, because there aren't enough of them on the world map, right? So, if I do, it's not a bad thing, ne? We need a little help on this... I'm thinking about using little bits from 8, since I'm already using the occasional character from it, so, why not, ne?  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	26. Temple Of The Ancients

Current Votes: On whether I should turn this into a Trilogy, or just make it hella long.  
  
2 For Trilogy  
  
0 For One Hella Long Ass Story  
  
~*~  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 25  
  
Chapter Title: Temple of the Ancients  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: They reach the Temple of the Ancients, and things go from there...  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Cid and his spear. A creepy temple... Creepy Aerith... All in all, a rather serious chapter, laced with moments of hilarity.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
On the Tiny Bronco  
  
How they managed to get everyone... including Nibie... onboard the tiny plane was completely beyond Sephiroth's cognitive abilities. It was bad enough that Cid's spear had been thrown overboard several times by those who had been stabbed by it in the effort to get everybody on the plane. Sephiroth himself had nearly lost an eye to the spear, as Cid swung it around... And that was before getting onboard.  
  
Each time it had gotten thrown overboard, Vincent had to restrain the man from going in after it while Cloud, who was being strangely silent, went in after it. Fortunately, they had remembered Cid's previous comment that he sank more than swam.  
  
Once the plane was going, it was actually fairly quiet. Vincent seemed to hover near Cid, as if he thought that the man would fall off of the plane... even though Cid sat in the cockpit. Everyone else was stuck draping themselves over the plane wherever they'd fit...  
  
Cloud actually was sitting right next to Sephiroth. The only part of that that Seph was bothered by, was the fact that Cloud was mostly silent. Too quiet for the rather hyperactive young man that he was used to.  
  
Nibie even seemed to sense that there was something wrong with Cloud, for she whined and licked at him almost constantly.  
  
They had almost reached the shore of the place Reeve had told them that he believed the temple was before Cloud spoke.  
  
"Eh, Seph?" Cloud asked quietly.  
  
Sephiroth blinked. "Yes?"  
  
"Just so you know, I think I should be going with you, inside the temple." Cloud nodded to himself. "Things are gonna get ugly there, just so you know." He had a rather serious look in his eyes, and Sephiroth thought that it didn't suit him in the least.  
  
"What do you mean, ugly?" he asked, voice matching Cloud's for softness.  
  
"If what I remember being told is right... there are some pretty nasty things inside. And it's easier to get in than out." Cloud stared in the direction of the shore that they were quickly approaching. "There's more than that, but I can't really figure out what it is..." The blonde nodded once more, as if confirming that he had said all that he needed to.  
  
Although, Sephiroth suspected that there was a lot more to it than that.  
  
~*~  
  
Temple of the Ancients  
  
"Here we are..." Cloud murmured to himself, staring at the huge structure before him. Somehow, the sight of it made him feel more calm. He nodded to himself before pacing quickly across the bridge before it. "Black Cloaks..."  
  
Indeed, the black cloaked figures from Nibelheim were all over and up the steps.  
  
"What are they doing here? Is she here?" he asked no one in particular. He felt Sephiroth's presence behind him and felt it safe to continue. Nibie brushed against his side, silently, with the tiny flapbeat (which he named Beatty) hovering over her head.  
  
At the top of the steps he stopped, turning back to eye Reno. The redhead rubbed the back of his neck. "What'd I do?"  
  
"It doesn't matter," Cloud murmured. "But I think you'd better check and see if Tseng's alright..."  
  
The man in question was leaning against the door frame at the top of the stairs. He looked bruised and beaten, but Cloud figured that he was alright. Turks can take a lot of pain, as it were. He doubted that Tseng had actually gone inside, because you needed the keystone for that, and Cloud had that... Although, he doubted that Sephiroth realized that he had it, considering that he had lifted it from the man in the scramble to shore, earlier.  
  
He reached over the smooth black surface of the altar, and carefully placed the stone in the slot in the middle of it. It glowed, and the glow slipped down from the altar, to his feet, which were no longer firmly on the ground.  
  
The world slipped away briefly, and came back into sharp contrast of stone gray and moss green. He vaguely heard Vincent murmur behind him, and Cid curse. It didn't really matter much, though.  
  
He winced. He had heard the soft murmurs, and the screams before, but it was nothing like the cacophony of sounds intruding on his awareness just then. Panicked voices, young and old, male and female, all chiming the same things... but with so many voices behind it, it became muddled, and he couldn't understand what they were trying to tell him.  
  
He shook his head, trying to clear it, and the voices turned into an apologetic murmur. "Quiet... I can't understand..." he shook his head again. The voices died almost completely down as he saw a little figure in purple. He glanced behind him, to see who was with him. Cid, Vincent and Sephiroth. He hoped that they had everything they would need, because it was going to be really hard, getting this finished.  
  
He walked swiftly down the path in front of him, not really giving them the chance to say anything. First things first. Catch up with the little guy.  
  
~*~  
  
The Maze, Temple of the Ancients  
  
This place was creepy, Cid decided. There was no getting around that. The others weren't really much comfort on that, either. Vincent was silent as stone, and had about as much expression on his face, while Sephiroth had eyes only for Cloud. And Cloud... well, his nephew was being -weird-.  
  
So Cid didn't really have anyone to talk to, not to mention that little guy in the black cloak earlier... disappearing like that. That was scary. Cid wasn't really much on ghost stories, but now he kind of felt like he'd fallen into one.  
  
People in black cloaks fading from existence, little people who say nothing but "mumph", Ancients, the way Cloud was acting, vampires... okay, so maybe Vincent wasn't a vampire, but it would make such a great story to tell if he ever had kids. Vincent being a vampire would make it just that much more rich.  
  
He chuckled quietly at the thought. And, being a vampire, it's not a bad thing that he had girly feet. He chuckled again.  
  
Vincent glanced at him, and shook his head, unwilling to ask.  
  
And a girly scream, Cid added mentally, giving another chuckle.  
  
"Would you stop that?" Vincent murmured.  
  
"Hm?" Cid asked, not sure what Vincent was talking about.  
  
The "vampire" sighed, "The laughing. This place is bad enough without that."  
  
Sephiroth paused ahead of them. "Yes, please do stop. It's creepy enough in here."  
  
Cid blinked, and laughed quietly, once he realized that they both thought that this place was creepy too.  
  
They glared at him.  
  
He straightened his face. "Sorry." He figured that he had better keep it down.  
  
Just then Cloud popped back in front of them. "The trap's off now. I want you guys to come see this..." He disappeared through a doorway just ahead of them.  
  
"Trap?" Cid asked.  
  
Sephiroth and Vincent shrugged.  
  
~*~  
  
The Boulder Room, Temple of the Ancients  
  
A rather violent scene, Vincent decided, after watching Aerith beat up (for lack of a better phrase) Tseng with her staff. They then watched her in another room, most likely somewhere in the temple, moving back and forth, looking at murals.  
  
Beside him, Cloud sighed, "I didn't know it was her..."  
  
"What?" Sephiroth asked, startled.  
  
"She seemed like a really nice girl," he sat forward, looking into the pool. He shook his head. "It doesn't really matter, though. I just wish I had known who she was..." He sighed, sadly.  
  
"Well, then..." Cid muttered, "That's the chick? She doesn't look that dangerous..."  
  
'Trust Cid,' Vincent thought, 'to make a rather stupid remark that somehow releases the tension.'  
  
Sephiroth and Cloud were both rubbing the backs of their heads in a sheepish manner, and Vincent rather wondered who was imitating who.  
  
'And I really wish he would stop that,' he thought, as Cid chuckled again.  
  
"I know that you don't have ta look dangerous to be dangerous, but damn... She's wearing -pink- fer crying out loud!" Cid shook his head. "I guess it doesn't really matter, though. She's still trying ta, what? Destroy the world, or conquer it?"  
  
Vincent sighed. A rather rash view of things. From what he'd seen, Cid was too straightforward for his own good. Of course, it made for interesting entertainment...  
  
"We should be going on, shouldn't we?" Vincent murmured.  
  
Cid and Sephiroth jumped, as if they had forgotten he was there... however, Cloud just nodded and walked off, leaving it up to them to follow or not.  
  
Vincent followed silently.  
  
~*~  
  
Mural Room, Temple of the Ancients  
  
If there was one thing that would stick with Sephiroth over this trip, it would have to be the clock. It took them a long while to figure it out, including Cid getting knocked off of it once... although the man had gotten back with them with astonishing alacrity, bearing gifts. Or rather, a gift. A rather nice weapon, even if it lacked materia slots.  
  
Sephiroth had handed it over to Cloud, who actually laughed over it. It was a bat. With nails sticking out of it. As far as ability to damage something, though, it was very nice indeed, if kinda grisly.  
  
Then there was the thing with the doors. There was another of those little purple people, and they had had to try and chase him down. Finally they had split up, and Vincent was the one who actually grabbed him. Probably due to that unnatural ability to remain utterly silent.  
  
Cid had begun to chuckle again, at which point Sephiroth was rather amused to hear Vincent tell him to can it.  
  
So, they had gotten the little man to open the door... And then they were in the room from the vision.  
  
Sephiroth ran a hand up one of the pictures. "A star? No, something falling from the sky..."  
  
"Meteor." Cloud's voice seemed hushed. "Mom told me stories... so, there you have it."  
  
Sephiroth frowned, "Is this what the Black Materia does?"  
  
"I think..." Cloud was cut off by a feminine laugh.  
  
"I'll be a goddess..."  
  
He stared. Not five feet away, was Aerith.  
  
Cloud sighed, "And just how is this..." he waved a hand at the murals "...going to make you a goddess?"  
  
She smiled sweetly at them. "When the planet is injured, it gathers energy to the injury, to heal..."  
  
Sephiroth shook his head, hoping that she wasn't saying what he thought.  
  
"What do you think would happen... if the injury was great enough to threaten the life of the planet?"  
  
'No way... she wouldn't, she couldn't... she hadn't been like this... even then... How could she even contemplate that?' He shook his head a little harder.  
  
"And I will be there to gather the energy, I will be one with the planet..." Her voice was soft, and smooth in a way that it hadn't been before.  
  
He was surprised to hear Cloud's sour laugh. "And when you're one with the planet... You'll set yourself up as the Goddess over all that's left... if there's anything. But, by being one with the planet... Gaia's pain will be your pain. You'll writhe in agony over the wound you yourself caused... and there'll be nothing left to reign over. You'll go insane with the pain... and it won't even be worth anything, because you'll have destroyed everything." He rubbed his hand through his hair, turning to them. "She's insane... beyond repair, I believe." He glanced back at her.  
  
Sephiroth shook his head. -She will do it. And I shall be with her, as the power flows, all will die, and become one with us... We won't be alone... we'll never be alone...- He groaned, holding a hand to his head. This other voice -hurt-.  
  
He vaguely heard the sound of Aerith's laughter, over the buzzing in his head. Everything turned grey.  
  
~*~  
  
Still In Mural Room, Temple of the Ancients  
  
"Is he alright?" Cid asked, deciding that if he didn't get to go to space, the least he could do was become a novelist.  
  
Cloud nodded, wincing slightly.  
  
"And you?" he asked Cloud.  
  
"Fine," Cloud muttered.  
  
"And you?" he asked Vincent, for good measure. Although, he wasn't too surprised when the man hit him. "See what I get for showing concern?" he asked the room in general, before wandering to the other side of the room, now that he was sure that Seph was alright, muttering to himself. "Well, as I can see I'm not wanted over here..."  
  
He picked up the small model on the altar, out of curiosity. The temple shook. "Eep!!"  
  
Vincent was suddenly at his side, as were both Cloud and Sephiroth, asking, "What did you do?!"  
  
"Uhm..." He carefully put the model back, placing his hands behind himself, and whistling innocently.  
  
Cloud picked it up, and the temple shook again.  
  
And then the Red Dragon attacked them.  
  
~*~  
  
It wasn't really that hard of a fight, although Cid was appropriately pissed when the damned thing lit his dynamite. Which he had promptly thrown at the creature, considering that he didn't want it to blow up on himself...  
  
But that really was beside the point. It hadn't been a hard fight... but Sephiroth was going to need a haircut after all of this... Cid wasn't sure, but he thought that Vincent might, too. The two of them smelt like burnt hair, and Cid wasn't above teasing them for it later, either.  
  
Cloud had made a revelation that the temple itself was the Black Materia. And had somehow figured that to make it shrink, there were riddles to be solved... from inside the temple. Whoever did it, was going to die.  
  
He was a bit surprised when his PHS rang, though. He hadn't realized that anyone actually knew the number. He answered it, and was surprised to here Reeve on the other end.  
  
"I hope you aren't upset, but I tagged you," Reeve told him.  
  
"And?" Cid asked. Honestly, he couldn't think of anything he did that he would be embarrassed about, so he wasn't upset over it.  
  
"Well... I overheard every thing... and I think I may have a solution... to the riddles that is..."  
  
He rubbed the back of his head, "Well, spill the beans, Reeve."  
  
"I've got an older model of Cait Sith that could do it. No loss of life."  
  
"Heya," Cid grinned, "Reeve's got a solution." He then proceeded to tell them what he'd been told.  
  
Needless to say, they were all relieved.  
  
And from there, they proceeded to make a quick exit... or tried to.  
  
Cloud turned back to them, once they reached the exit. "It won't open," he said softly.  
  
Cid's eyes widened as a head came out of the wall right over Cloud. "Oh, shit! Cloud, step away from the door... wall thingy... Just get yer ass over here, now!!"  
  
Currently, Sephiroth and Vincent were yelling similar things.  
  
Cloud gave them a rather confused look, then turned back towards the door. "Eeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiyaaaaaaahh!!!"  
  
Unlike the fight with the dragon, there was absolutely no way that this would be easy. No way at all.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
ChibiBoko, *is currently laughing ass off* That was great. And thank you for your vote... (God, that was funny, good thing it was in a cute way, ne?) *still laughing really hard* Kawaii... About Reno's papers... honestly, he's a Turk, among other things... and a flirt, so he's probably got a lot of numbers, if ya know what I mean... lol. A bit of the pregame stuff is a bit tweaked, 'cause I wanted certain things to fit into a certain time frame, but you've got a lot of the main stuff, definitely. I might actually write a prequel, about how Reeve and Vincent met, if I get requests... but it'll have to wait until Mako Blue Horizon and it's sequels are done... I suppose once I'm near the end, I might put up another poll on that... ^.^' Also, if you think about it, Reeve is probably the only nice guy in Shinra... He couldn't have made it as far as he did if he was all sweetness and light, as it were, or even if he were really cowardly, like some people portray him... And I haven't seen many fics explore his character much, which I find kind of sad, 'cause he's one of my favorite characters... Thanks for the town encouragement... ^.~ I will use them sparingly, though... (I think...)  
  
Angefantasy, Ah, you may be right about the crossdressing bit, but that's for their personal amusement.. (and mine...) Nah, Vincent's wake up call wasn't the Kamikaze Rabbit, and yes, the rabbit is Rufus' heir... sadly. Although, Rufus has a good reason for that... (Being the only thing that the executives would be horribly upset at taking over the company, they would be a bit more protective of him, you know?) As for the one Zack sees before he passes out... how'd you know it was a Snow? Nope, I got a new vote last chapter. And the voting ends when I get to the Forgotten City, just below the City of the Ancients... So far, all votes point to Trilogy.  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Food in Fanfiction: Really, food, people! I know I didn't go into it much, either, but you rarely see food in fanfiction... except in naughty ways. *blinks innocently* You see it once in the game... (At least, I think that's the only place in the game with food... I mean sure, there's tea, but that place in Wall Market is the only place that there's food!) In fanfiction, food is mention on things like dates and naughty stuff, not on a regular basis... and I have yet to see a good fanfiction writer mention that someone had to go to the bathroom. (Including myself... maybe next chapter...) But that's a little off topic... Food is a very necessary thing, don't you think? No one ever mentions that Cloud would have had to pack a lot of food for all that distance he walked, I mean, dear god! There is never an exploration of how hard it is to make food last when you're on the road, in the middle of nowhere... anyway... I think that's enough for now...  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	27. Goodbye, See Ya

The votes I've had thus far have decided the fate of the story. Next chapter shall be the last. And then... the sequel! Which I shall name... da da da duh!!! Fiery Red Horizon! (You all like?)  
  
2 For Trilogy (WINNER!!!)  
  
0 For One Hella Long Ass Story (Uhm... nobody wanted it to be that long, I guess... =v.v'=)  
  
~*~  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 26  
  
Chapter Title: Goodbye, See Ya  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Cloud decides that it's time to move on, and Sephiroth is the only one who knows where to... And we have a few minutes with Zack, who notices something... slightly new.  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Kinda sad, then amusing, then confusing. I'm not sure, but I think someone might have a potty-mouth. =~.~'=  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Back On the Tiny Bronco  
  
Cloud sighed. If Meteor were to be summoned... Well, something had to be there to stop it, right? He had been worried that Aerith might try something with Seph, because he could tell that she had some sort of link with him... He could hear Gaia scream when Sephiroth had collapsed, and he'd almost followed Seph to the ground, there.  
  
Sephiroth had passed out again, once they left the remains of the temple... which was currently a big hole in the ground. Reno had called for a helicopter, and had left with Tseng, after giving them all of his own supplies as an apology. Cloud understood that Reno's loyalty to his boss preceded almost everything else.  
  
He found himself inordinately pleased that he got to be the one to hold onto Sephiroth, making sure he didn't fall from the wing of the plane.  
  
He brushed Sephiroth's hair from his face. The man's hair grew really fast, he noticed. There was a good 8 inches of silver before the black started. When he'd first seen him, traveling with Tifa, there had been less than an inch of silver. The black didn't really look right on him, Cloud decided.  
  
He remembered back when he had first met Sephiroth, almost four years ago, now, the man had been rather stunning. His hair had been really long, and was straight silver.  
  
He sighed again. If he went through with what he was planning... He might never even get to see Seph again. Ever... or at least, not until the man also died... Then they would both be "one with the planet" as his mother was fond of saying... and it appeared that Aerith was fond of that phrase as well.  
  
'One with Gaia,' he amended, in the back of his mind. He didn't even know when it was that he started thinking of the planet with the old term his mother had supplied him with, but it sounded nicer than "the planet", especially after the way Aerith said it.  
  
"I'm going to be leaving soon," he murmured to the still unconscious Sephiroth. "Maybe... no. I can't stay. Just 'cause I'm scared..." He tipped his head to the side, making sure that nobody was really looking at him... aside from Nibie. If no one was looking, then they probably weren't listening, either. Reeve and Vincent were the ones he would worry about, but they weren't close enough to hear him. Nobody else paid him any mind.  
  
"Good..." he smiled sadly at Seph. "What would you think? You'd probably think I was being an idiot, eh?" He brushed the hair from Sephiroth's face again. "When we get to Gongaga, I'm gonna head North with Nibie and Beatty." He hugged Sephiroth. It wasn't really much different from when he'd just been holding him... just a squeeze.  
  
A thought suddenly occurred to him, and the smile was a little less sad. He pressed his lips lightly to Seph's forehead, "I'll see you there, eh?"  
  
~*~  
  
Sephiroth's Dream  
  
He was surrounded by green and blue, so bright... yet it didn't hurt his eyes. 'Where am I?'  
  
A soft voice, seeming to come from a distance spoke to him... Cloud? "When we get to Gongaga, I'm gonna head North with Nibie and Beatty... I'll see you there, eh?"  
  
'North? Where North? There were so many places north of Gongaga... Cloud, be more specific, if you want me to follow...'  
  
"There's a town made of bones, past that is a nearly impassable forest. Go into the deserted city made of shell... Don't worry, you'll make it. I know you will..." Cloud sounded kind of sad. "I think... I'm going to miss everyone..."  
  
~*~  
  
Gongaga  
  
Sephiroth sat up so suddenly that Cid nearly spilled his tea on the man. "Watch it, kid!"  
  
"Where's Cloud?" he asked.  
  
Cid almost rolled his eyes. Young people have no manners... not to mention they said such strange things when they woke up from being sick for a week... Oh, yeah. Cloud. "He took off about five days ago... said to follow when we're ready. Blasted idiot didn't bother to tell Uncle Cid where he was going, though. Nooo... Why would I want to know something like that? Especially if we're going to be following him..." Cid ran out of air, and sat quietly for a moment, regaining his breath.  
  
Sephiroth stood rather suddenly, nearly ending up with Cid's tea all over him a second time.  
  
"Hold on a minute, kid..." he began, as Sephiroth wobbled really bad. "You've been abed for a week! You came down with something..." he flapped a hand, trying to come up with a word for it, "strange. Still not sure what. But everybody knows ya can't just get back to, after being down that long." He shook his head, muttering, "Stupid kids. I'm never gonna have any. I forfeit all rights to tell grandchildren vampire stories. 'Cause I ain't willing to take the first step."  
  
Sephiroth stared at him from his seat on the bed, having fallen back to it in the middle of Cid's speech. "What?" he asked, confused.  
  
"I'm never going to have children," Cid clarified.  
  
"Vampire stories?"  
  
Cid nodded at Vincent, who was sitting quietly in a chair across the room.  
  
Vincent glared. "I am not a vampire."  
  
"Sure," Cid replied unconvincingly.  
  
Sephiroth blinked at them. Finally, he said, "I know where Cloud's gone to."  
  
Cid did spill his tea this time. And promptly began cursing.  
  
Vincent took up the question, "Where?"  
  
"Bone village."  
  
~*~  
  
Great Glacier  
  
Zack panted. It had taken a bit of effort to escape them, and now, here he was, shirtless and coatless again. Damnit. They didn't have to try and take his clothes!  
  
At least he still had the boots. He blushed, thinking about the circumstances of his... escape.  
  
He'd appreciated being rescued and all (again)... and at first hadn't really minded the attention that they gave him. His head had hurt, a lot, and the women were actually quite lovely... Really, he'd only gotten upset when that one tried stripping him.  
  
How embarrassing. All she'd gotten was his shirt, as he hadn't been wearing his coat at the time, because it wasn't all that cold there...  
  
Now, he felt mostly fine, if a little cold. He may have been just imagining it... but it seemed to be getting warmer. The longer he stayed out in the cold, the less it actually bothered him. He didn't feel any colder than when it rained in Midgar. And this wasn't as uncomfortable as all that, either. At least this was a dry cold.  
  
He stumbled a bit on the path. He hadn't quite gotten over the second concussion yet.  
  
He felt like he should apologize to those chicks, for running out like that, but really, that was kind of scary. He snorted when he realized that his hands had changed again. Although... on closer inspection... it seemed to be worse this time.  
  
He stared at his fingers, trying to figure out what was different this time. Scales. On his fingers. Ew. He yawned.  
  
Great. He had scales on his hands now, and all he was doing was yawning about it. "I wonder..." he mumbled, staring at the back of his arm. Yup, scales there too. "Wal, shite." He yawned again, and blinked dampness from his eyes.  
  
He was really tired, he realized calmly. He glanced about, finding a small cave within visual distance of the trail. "Hm... That... would be nice place to take nap..." he decided aloud.  
  
He climbed up to it and pulled himself inside. He yawned again, and curled into a ball. He was really, really sleepy. Within moments, his consciousness retreated to the back of his brain, staying only partially alert, and on the watch for intruders.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Is it just me, or am I updating really fast this morning? (I've been wanting to write... a lot...)  
  
So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)  
  
Angefantasy, I felt sorry for Cloud last chapter... But it's kind of important, so, yeah. (Poor Cloud...) The thing with Cid laughing is... well, have you seen Mortal Kombat? There was a guy in there who kept laughing at rather inappropriate moments and then apologizing for it... Oh... (You'll love this, I think...) Aerith gets much, much worse. (In the sequel.) And Jenova is a bad, bad alien chicky. =^.~= As for the game of losing and regaining the Black Materia... I'm not sure yet... And Cloud... You'll find out... (Heheh... Sore wa himitsu desu... Heehee...) And I don't mind if you archive it on your computer. Even if you archived it on a site, I wouldn't mind, as long as I get credit... and my email is put next to it so I can get feedback. (Thank you for asking. I feel loved. =v.v=)  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Names: In Final Fantasy, most all of the characters names have -special- meanings... in 7, we have Cloud, whose name has a rather obvious meaning. Something I found amusing is Sephiroth's... I noticed that saying it, is sounds kinda like zephyr, as in the wind... So, does that make cloud's enemy the wind? lol Just an odd thought, you all.  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


	28. And Now It's Really Goodbye

The sequel will be "Fiery Red Horizon" for the votes were as follows:  
  
2 For Trilogy (WINNER!!!)  
  
0 For One Hella Long Ass Story (Uhm... nobody wanted it to be that long, I guess... =v.v'=)  
  
~*~  
  
Title: Mako Blue Horizon  
  
Chapter: 27  
  
Chapter Title: And Now It's Really Goodbye  
  
Author: Kage Kashu  
  
Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?  
  
Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure  
  
Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.  
  
Chapter Summary: Uhm... last chapter. Cloud prays for Holy... Aerith shows up... badness...  
  
Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.  
  
Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things get stranger. And I figure... Normal thinking is between 'these things'. Jenova is going to be between -these, 'cause I didn't feel like being more creative for her-. And Aerith is going to be between ~these~. And Sephiroth's younger self is going to be between \these\. (Yeah, that works!) I suppose I also need something for talking through electronics. So, that will be in between =these=.  
  
Warnings: Very AU. Character death... and a lot of blood.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Forgotten City  
  
Cloud walked down the steps, pausing to look at the water. So far, it was exactly like his dreams. He sighed sadly. He had made sure that Nibie and Beatty stayed outside. It really wouldn't do for them to be down here when things began to happen.  
  
His left hand went to his neck, to pull a thin leather cord from his shirt. His mother's gift. On the end was a crystal clear ball, which on first glance could be mistaken as glass. But no glass glowed quite like that.  
  
He recalled his mother telling him quite cheerfully that it was quite useless, unless, of course, the planet... 'Gaia' he reminded himself... was threatened. The results of its use? The destruction of anything Gaia saw as a threat.  
  
A thin smile crossed his face. It wasn't like his usual smile. It wasn't even the sad smile he'd been giving the past week or so. It was a rather sour look, one that promised something unpleasant to whatever was annoying him.  
  
The smile slipped away, and he sighed. He really didn't like what he was going to do... he didn't like it one bit. But he didn't feel that he had a choice. The staccato rapping of his boots against marble echoed in this place.  
  
He leapt onto the first step up to the -gazebo?- in the center of the place. It was a bit too small to be a city, he realized. That meant he'd given Vincent an inaccurate description of the place. Oh, well. It was a little too late to be thinking about that.  
  
After a small series of such jumps, he made it to the... maybe it was an altar? Whatever it was didn't really matter, although it's purpose meant a lot.  
  
It was a lovely place, he realized, even though he knew he wouldn't be there long. He sighed softly, pulling the cord from his neck, and holding the "pendant" in his hands. Begging Gaia for strength, he settled in.  
  
~*~  
  
The Ancient City, Several Days Later  
  
A wolf howled nearby. 'Nibie?' Sephiroth wondered hopefully. The wolf howled again, and Sephiroth realized, with some surprise, that he was right, as the wolf in question pounded down the path to greet them.  
  
She immediately thrust her nose into his face, whining.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
In response she whined louder. The small dragonet Cloud had picked up lay nestled in the fur of her back, obviously quite comfortable there.  
  
He rubbed her muzzle, hoping that the cold feeling of dread had nothing to do with Cloud.  
  
Vincent slipped past him, continuing down the path. Sephiroth paused for a moment longer before following him. Nibie fell into step behind him as he continued along.  
  
Behind him, everyone else looked somber. Tifa especially had been in a somber mood, since Sephiroth had related his dream. From the sounds of it, especially after Vincent told them all what Cloud had said to him, about his dreams, Cloud had gone off fully expecting to die.  
  
Cid was mostly silent. Rather, he was silent but for the occasional outburst caused by him being a rather loud man, who -did- more than thought. He had rather loudly protested when he had been attacked by the brush along the trails earlier.  
  
Vincent, as usual, gave no indication of what he was thinking on the subject, other than the occasional comment in response to the others' worries.  
  
They searched the entire city, and found no sign of Cloud. Nibie however, once they had gone into the center of the city, seemed rather inclined to hang out there.  
  
It wasn't until nightfall that they found the crystalline staircase that lead down from the center of the "building" that lye in the middle of the city.  
  
Sephiroth had gone down as soon as they found it, followed by Tifa, Cid and Vincent. Everyone else had opted to stay above ground, in case of trouble.  
  
Sephiroth took the steps down two at a time, in hopes of reaching the bottom sooner. When he reached the bottom of the crystal staircase, there were more stairs, these ones seemed to be marble. Further down, and he was on a marble platform in the middle of crystal clear water. The soft chime of water dripping somewhere echoed, as did the sound of his boots against the stone.  
  
And there was Cloud, sitting on a dais in the center of the... castle?  
  
"Cloud?" he murmured, strangely unwilling to greatly disturb the echoing silence. He hopped onto the first column that stuck out of the water, his gaze locked on Cloud, who sat silently at the top.  
  
~*~  
  
The Forgotten City  
  
Echoing silence. The steady echoing drip of water was a comfort. If it hadn't been there, Cloud would have gone insane in the first few minutes sitting there, locked in a struggle to put enough magic into the White Materia for it to work. The silence and the dripping helped work him into such a calm as he'd never felt before.  
  
On the edge of his awareness, he thought that he might hear voices, but he pushed that thought away as a distraction. Until the soft yet echoing scrape of boots against stone alerted him to another's presence. Warm Mako blue eyes rose to meet the near match of Mako green. Sephiroth.  
  
Cloud smiled softly, opening his mouth to speak. Then he noticed it. The growing shadow of something above him. No time. The smile turned sad. "So, this is it..." he murmured silently, right before ice cold metal drove into his back. Pain.  
  
His eyes widened as the blade drove into the floor in front of him. His mouth worked soundlessly, as he tried to apologize to Sephiroth. The other's glowing green eyes were wide with shock.  
  
There were two things that Cloud carried with him down into the darkness. The hope that he'd been able to do enough, and that frightened shocked look in Sephiroth's eyes.  
  
~*~  
  
Sephiroth dove forward to catch Cloud as the blonde fell forward, the blade still driven through him. Almost reflexively, Sephiroth pulled it from him, already knowing that it was too late. Once he pulled the blade out, however, he realized just what it was. The Masamune. His sword.  
  
He dropped it, returning he gaze to Cloud's face. His eyes were shut, and a small trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. His breath caught in his throat as he gently placed a hand to Cloud's face.  
  
His shoulders shook as he pulled Cloud's body close. His grip tightened as tears slipped from the corners of his eyes. "How could you?" he asked, voice choked and trembling.  
  
Aerith just smiled. "Does it really matter? He's going to be with me, now." She tilted her head to the side. "Perhaps you want to join him?"  
  
Anger flooded in, washing away some of the pain. "How dare you?" he hissed.  
  
She laughed. "It doesn't matter... can you hear your mother calling?" she asked. "She wants you to come home..." She faded away, right there.  
  
As she faded, something else seemed to grow out of the floor where she'd been standing. Something horrifically grisly.  
  
He pulled Cloud's limp form to the edge of the dais. He then stood protectively over Cloud, sword out, and ready to attack this thing that Aerith had left behind...  
  
~*~  
  
Sephiroth had had a Water Ring, so the creature had been unable to harm him, considering that it used only water based attacks. It had disintegrated once he killed it.  
  
He picked up Cloud and Masamune, to carry them out of the place that he now realized was a temple. There was blood all over the dais, now, and all over Sephiroth as well. Cloud's blood, everywhere; Cloud's body, lying limply in his arms. The pain from before came back, stronger than it had been.  
  
His breath hitched as he carried Cloud up the crystal steps, back to the outside world.  
  
Cid followed, just behind Vincent, carrying a sobbing Tifa. Cid was uncharacteristically silent... while Vincent... seemed a little more depressed than usual. If he'd been able to think, Sephiroth would have wondered what could make a man act so, even in such a situation... but his mind was beginning to numb.  
  
It didn't take long to figure out what to do with Cloud's body. The chill pond outside seemed like the perfect place for him. The pond was rather shallow, but it was so cold that he doubted any animals would risk moving far enough into the water to get to the body.  
  
He swallowed against the tightness in his throat as he let Cloud go.  
  
Cloud sank slowly to the bottom, and Sephiroth was shocked when instead of stopping there, he continued to sink into the crystal at the bottom of the pool.  
  
And all he could wonder was this... Did that mean that Cloud had truly "become one with the planet"?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
*sniffles* There you have it folks. I'm ending it right there. Then... *sniff* the sequel. Not sure if I'm gonna start writing that one today, though. Well, you'll all see it when I post it, ne?  
  
Angefantasy, Poor Cloud... poor Seph... Dear God, poor Zack. Heheh... It was only that one... *laughs* Dun know why, but I feel sorry for the guy. He's definitely changing... if he's lucky, he might get to control it. Heheh...  
  
RavensHaelo, *laughs* I really don't understand why the bathroom is taboo though, if you know what I mean... I mean, everyone uses it, ne? Unless they don't have a bathroom, then it's the out house... or back woods, as it were... *chuckles*  
  
Miniature Rant of the Day---  
  
On Endings: I hate endings. It means you don't get to see anymore... but I like sequels... 'cause that means there's more... *sniffles* I can't believe I finished it... Wah!! Cloud, I'm sorry!! *bawls*  
  
If you actually read my rants, thank you.  
  
Thank you, for reading. 


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